Lyra Black: The Prisoner's Daughter
by Queen of Debate
Summary: Lyra Black hasn't known her father's identity in her eleven years of life, but that revelation seems inevitable as she enters Hogwarts in 1993. Her life turns upside down when the truth is discovered and she realizes her life will never be the same again. Collab with my lovely friend WildernessGirl. We don't own anything, unfortunately. Everybody but Lyra belongs to Jo.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Elphinstone's snores resounded through the room, though Minerva wasn't bothered by them. She had gotten used to them. She never seemed to sleep nowadays. It was understandable when war still raged, but now that You-Know-Who was gone and the Wizarding world was at peace, she expected herself to be able to sleep. But no, she still spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, worrying for her pupils or thinking about that little boy who she had left on a doorstep almost two years ago, Harry Potter. That July would be his second birthday, though she doubted those rotten people she left him with would celebrate it.

At the thought of Harry, Minerva sat up in her bed. She walked over to the vanity and stared at her reflection. There were bags under her eyes and her skin was wrinkled. She was undeniably old, but the war had most definitely taken its toll on her. She had fought long and hard, only for two of her favourite students to end up dead with another in Azkaban. There were some days where the thought of James and Lily Potter lying dead in their home got to her so much that she didn't feel she had the strength to face her students, knowing that only five years before, she had looked at Lily and James the same way.

 _Tea,_ she thought. She could make some tea to get her mind off it. She clutched to the railing as she made her way down the stairs. She and Elphinstone had bought that cottage when they were first married. It was large enough for the two of them and close enough to Hogwarts. She walked a narrow corridor before flinging open the kitchen door. She lit two candles with her wand and filled the kettle with water. She never used magic to do that. She had fond childhood memories of helping her father with household chores and magic never had a place in them. She listened closely for the kettle to screech, but something rattled her before it did.

There was a knock, soft, no doubt, but it hung in the air. Minerva nearly leaped. She looked out the window above the sink. From there, she could see nobody. She must have been imagining it. It was probably the wind. But then it sounded again. After she heard the thump again, Minerva etched towards the kitchen door, towards the front door. Making sure to make no noise, Minerva peered through the peephole. What she saw astonished her. She impulsively opened the door.

"Mary Macdonald?" she whispered, almost not believing it. The dark-haired beauty made an attempt at a warm smile, but she didn't seem to have the power to. Minerva noticed the red rims around her eyes and the sallowness of her face. Her chestnut brown hair seemed to be piled on top of her head.

"Prof- I mean, Minerva. Thank you," the young woman murmured, looking at her feet. At the moment, Minerva realized the stupidity of her actions. She hadn't even asked Mary a question before allowing her in. What if she was an imposter?

But after that revelation, Minerva made another. In the darkness, she hadn't noticed the bundle in her former pupil's arms.

"Who is this?" she asked softly, peering down at the infant. A child that couldn't have been older than two weeks lay sleeping soundly. "Is this why you've come?" Minerva inquired. It did strike her as rather bizarre that one of her brightest students would come in the dead of night, but she always rather liked Mary and didn't have the energy to be cross with her.

"Yes. Minerva, you- you need to help me," Mary pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation. Minerva looked at the young woman with deep concern. What could bother a girl who was once so vivacious and full of life?

"Mary, why are you here?" Minerva took a step back from the girl. Tears began to roll down Mary's face.

"Please, please, just take her!" She shoved the bundle towards Minerva. Minerva didn't move.

"Take her and hide her. She needs to be far away."

"I don't understand, Mary. This- this is your child, is it not?" Mary didn't respond, but instead continued to beg.

"Leave her with a Muggle family or drop her at an orphanage! I don't care! Nobody can know." Mary began shaking as the tears began to flow even faster, rolling down her face and onto the floor. Scared that Mary might faint, Minerva took the bundle. The infant remained asleep.

"She's not safe. I have no one, Minerva. She'd be better far away. Promise me." Mary implored desperately.

"Are you in danger?" Minerva, baby still in hand, moved towards her. Mary recoiled, brushing her away.

"Her name is Lyra. Lyra Black. She was born two days ago, on the eighteenth. Please- just keep her safe." Mary's deep brown eyes bore into McGonagall. With that gaze, how could Minerva refuse her?

"I'll try, Mary," she said quietly. "To the best of my abilities."

"Thank you," Mary said in a rushed, hushed tone. She quickly scurried out the door. Minerva stepped into the darkness for a moment, watching the young woman hurry out of sight, knowing full well it would probably be the last time she ever saw her.

She turned her attentions to the infant in her arms. She had made a promise to Mary. Lyra Black. Lyra Black.

"It couldn't be?" She looked at the baby. As she slept peacefully, Minerva felt her fears lessen. What did it matter? She had promised her former student that she would keep Lyra safe, far away.

When she was growing up, she had a friend, Daisy, who she played with in the fields of Caithness. Daisy was an orphan, Minerva remembered. She lived in Hinshaw's Home for Girls. The orphanage still remained, Minerva knew. She had seen it when she was back there last Christmas. It was secluded, but close enough to keep an eye on the child. She would leave the child there and bribe the matron for regular updates.

She clutched the child tight to her chest as she Apparated, now certain of what she was going to do.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! This is just the prologue. We'll meet Lyra in the next chapter, which will be written by my friend, wildernessgirl, who is collaborating with me on this.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Lyra was trapped, with no idea of her whereabouts. There was a chill in the air, and from what she could tell of her surroundings, she was in some sort of prison cell. The stone floor was littered with black fur, and the only light originated from a small barred window in the wall of the cell. The door was made of an unknown material to her, and she could hear some sort of hissing noise. Lyra couldn't glean where the noise was coming from, or for that matter, where she was. She could only tell that it was possibly the most miserable place in all of Britain.

Looking around the cell again, she saw a piece of paper poking out from under the fur that coated the floor. She grabbed it, brushing off the dust and grime, and glanced at it. The Daily Prophet, the paper read. After closer examination, Lyra realized it was a newspaper, but not one she had ever seen before. A picture of a large family graced the front page, and that was all Lyra saw before she awoke from the strange dream.

Back in reality, Lyra sat up in her bed, her face pale. The muttered words, "He's at Hogwarts" rang in her head. She took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her senses and noticed light streaming into her room. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep.

Lyra rolled out of her bed, her feet hitting the cold wood floor. Her room had a single bed, whereas the other girls in the building slept in rooms of two. She used to bunk with a girl, Lizzie, until that incident with the glass, and Lizzie asked Mrs. Hinshaw if she could room with another girl. Though the snub had hurt at first, most of time Lyra enjoyed having a her own space.

She looked around for her uniform, finding it strewn across the floor. She pulled on the light blue frock and reached for her white cardigan. Pulling on her socks and shoes, Lyra stood up and hurried out of her room.

Stepping quietly onto the carpeted floor of the hallway, she listened intently to the sounds of the house. It was silent, but for the creaks of the floorboards under her feet. As she tiptoed down the hall, Lyra heard the soft snores of the other orphans. She managed to keep quiet, not wanting to wake them. She was already in enough trouble with the matron on a regular basis. She reached the creaky stairs and quietly made her way down. She heard somebody rustling in the kitchen, meaning that Anne was already working to prepare breakfast. Not wanting to bother her, Lyra slinked into the small library and kneeled down by the sofa. She pulled out a book, Watership Down, from under there. She had hidden her favourite books under the sofa so she would always have access to them. If the other girls noticed, they didn't say anything, though Lyra doubted they did.

She sat in a musty armchair by the sole window of the room and flipped to her bookmarked page. Time seemed to fly by as she read. She barely noticed the sound of the wake-up chime that Mrs. Hinshaw rang. She only closed her book when Mrs. Hinshaw called her name.

"Lyra!" A shrill voice rang out throughout the building. Lyra quickly shoved Watership Down under the sofa and responded, "Yes, Mrs. Hinshaw?". The middle-aged matron opened the library door, scowling. Lyra looked at her feet.

"You know you're not supposed to be in here before classes," Mrs. Hinshaw said crossly.

"I'm sorry, but I had a nightm-"

Mrs. Hinshaw didn't appear to care. Instead of listening, she pointed in the direction of the dining hall. Lyra hung her head as she walked to join her peers.

One of the girls snickered as Lyra joined them. Lyra tried to stop herself from losing her temper. That would get her in even more trouble than she already was. She sat a her assigned table. A few moments later, Mrs. Hinshaw returned. The orphanage got funding from a local Protestant church, so the girls, as well as going to church every Sunday, said grace before every meal. When that was done, Lyra looked at the food before her. Porridge, a slice of buttered bread, and tea. She grimaced. She hate porridge, but she knew that the orphanage was running out of funds and that simple meals were all they could afford. Begrudgingly, she ate her bread and a few spoonfuls of the porridge before slurping down the steaming peppermint beverage.

"She was in the library!" One of the other girls whispered to her friend before the both of them convulsed in a fit of giggles. Lyra glared daggers at them, her face flushed. "Bimbos," she muttered. Nobody in the orphanage or even in the village understood her. They were scared of her "unwarranted" glares and her temper. They were frightened of her bookishness. But more than anything, they didn't like her because she was different. It wasn't just her inquisitive grey eyes and her short stature. Odd things seemed to happen around her. When she and Lizzie were fighting over some trivial matter in their room, the glass of the window suddenly shattered and Lizzie got a small cut from a shard. Lizzie claimed that Lyra threw something at it, but when Mrs. Hinshaw looked at the ground below, there was nothing. When Lyra was a young child in the nursery, she somehow unlocked the toy box while all the other children were asleep. They found her in the hall playing with an old toy train. Even Lyra couldn't explain what she did sometimes. Some of her feats seemed impossible for fully-grown adults, yet that petite eleven year old managed it.

The two giggling girls looked at Lyra oddly, but they stopped their gossip. Lyra was nearly livid, but classes would be starting soon. She was more intelligent than any of the other girls and would show them up there.

After breakfast, Lyra and the rest of the older girls made their way into the library. Mrs. Hinshaw was a former teacher, so she taught them reading and writing. There were two circles of chairs. Lyra sat with the girls who were teenagers. They had The Secret Garden that week. Lyra had read it a long time before, but she had read it again nonetheless, unlike some of the other girls.

"Can anybody identify the war that happened right before the start?" Mrs. Hinshaw asked kindly. Lyra raised her hand. Mrs. Hinshaw looked at the other girls for a moment, but none of them appeared to know. She reluctantly called upon Lyra.

"There had been none since the War of 1812. The Pax Britannica lasted till 1914." Lyra answered. Mrs. Hinshaw nodded. Mrs. Hinshaw asked very few other questions, but judging from the expressions of the other girls, they didn't follow what she was saying.

Nearly an hour had passed and Lyra was beginning to become bored. Mrs. Hinshaw wouldn't call on her and everything the matron was saying wasn't new information. Lyra yawned as she looked out the window. She longed to escape the orphanage and live a normal life or go on an adventure. She was getting restless, being stuck in a house with only the dullest girls in all of Scotland. She had thought about the day she could break free. She was practically counting down the days till her sixteenth birthday, when the government finally thought she was old enough to leave the orphanage. She wanted to travel. She would go to all the places she had read about in her books. Eventually, she would settle down, but somewhere exciting. Maybe London, but she loved Scotland, so perhaps Edinburgh? Lyra began to zone out as Mrs. Hinshaw continued to drone on. She barely noticed a little girl scurry into the room and whisper something in Mrs. Hinshaw's ear.

"Lyra?" Mrs. Hinshaw said suddenly, shock apparent in her voice. Lyra blinked in surprise. She hadn't been listening.

Quietly, carefully, Mrs. Hinshaw spoke four words she had never said to Lyra before. "You have a visitor."

 **I'm going to leave it there. Wildernessgirl and I worked on this one together. Chapter 3, though, will be all her. Review and fav if you wish.**

 **Cherry Mall**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lyra felt her heart thump in her chest as she made her down the corridor to the sitting room. She had never had a visitor before, not in the eleven years she had been at the orphanage. It was frightening yet exhilarating, she realized. Her life had always been so routine before. She would wake up with the other girls, eat, have classes, do chores, and sleep. It had been painful watching other girls get letters and have visitors while she got none. Now, she was one of them. She was no longer on the outside.

She adjusted her blue frock and smoothed her black hair before she entered the sitting room. She looked around before her eyes settled upon a little old woman. Her hair was grey with streaks of mousy brown. Her eyes were inquisitive and curious, almost like a cat's. Frown lines bordered her small mouth. She was garbed in an odd outfit: an emerald green robe and a long black dress underneath. Lyra immediately was confused. This was not any relation of hers; she could feel it. Her hopes of a family reunion were dashed. She hesitantly sat down in a chair across from the old woman.

"Good morning, Miss Black," the woman said. She had a thick Scottish accent, thicker than Lyra's slight one. Lyra smiled warmly, but still kept herself composed.

"Good morning," she greeted. The woman continued on. While she did act rather dour, the old woman, Lyra decided, seemed kind.

"I'm sure you're wondering who I am. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am a professor at a school just five hours from here. Hogwarts, it's called."

The words "He's at Hogwarts!" resounded through Lyra's mind. She shook the premonition off. It was probably just a coincidence. It was only a dream, after all.

"Hogwarts?" Lyra repeated. McGonagall nodded.

"Hogwarts is… a special school," McGonagall said slowly, carefully. Lyra nodded. Was Mrs. Hinshaw sending her away to some school for troubled girls? At the idea, tears threatened to spill. Lyra knew that trouble just seemed to follow her, but she did well in the classes and her quirks never hurt anybody. She was always kind towards the other girls.

"What do you mean by special?" Lyra furrowed her brow. Was it a rehabilitation center or some strict, pious academy, or…

McGonagall cut off the thought. "You see, Miss Black, there are certain kinds of people in this world… there's a group that sort of… different. I'm one of those people and you are, too."

"No, I'm not!" Lyra nearly shouted. Though she loathed the routine of her life at the orphanage, she would rather stay there than go to the bloody disciplinary school.

"Miss Black!" McGonagall barked. Lyra's hung head hung low, like the moon. She hadn't wanted to offend the professor.

"These people, there's nothing wrong with them. They just have a different ability. A power, I suppose you could say. Magic." The word hung in the air. Lyra looked at McGonagall in shock. This couldn't possibly be true. This had to be some big orchestrated joke.

On the other hand, however, McGonagall, in the short time Lyra had known her, had already made the impression that she was a sensible, no-nonsense sort of woman. Somebody that stern wouldn't participate in such a frivolity. Lyra came to a conclusion that satisfied the paradox.

"I believe you, Professor," Lyra began, "but I'm not. I mean, I don't have any powers." She bit her lip and looked at her feet. To her surprise, the professor began to chuckle. Lyra wrinkled her nose and the professor began to regain herself.

"Do bizarre things seem to happen around you? Things that cannot be explained?" McGonagall asked. Lyra didn't respond, which seemed to be answer enough to the professor. "Does commotion seem to follow you? Are you ever blamed for things you don't understand?"

"Yes," Lyra blurted out. It had always seemed like nobody in the world understood her, yet here sat this odd, unsmiling woman who excused it all as some sort of hereditary ability.

"What do you mean by magic?" Lyra asked. McGonagall smiled.

"Witches and wizards. They can cast spells and use their powers to make the supernatural happen. Hogwarts is the school where you learn to control your powers and use them to your advantage."

Lyra grinned at the thought. "What type of stuff do you learn?" she asked eagerly. McGonagall began to enumerate many things, and even though Lyra didn't understand what most of those words meant, she thought that all of them sounded immensely interesting.

"What do you teach? If you're a professor?" Lyra knew already that she liked this woman and she wanted to place top in her class.

"I teach Transfiguration. It's the study of using magic to transform objects." Lyra smiled.

"When can I go?" she inquired. McGonagall hummed.

"I'm not here to only explain this all to you, Miss Black, but to offer you a preposition." McGonagall paused before continuing, "If you come with me to a place in London, where we can get your supplies, you can go to Hogwarts. You still can choose to not go. Hogwarts has never been mandatory."

Though Lyra desperately wanted to go to Hogwarts, she needed insurance. She pondered the idea for a moment. Her life would certainly change, probably for the better. But she knew nothing about this world and-

"Nothing like your father," McGonagall chuckled as she muttered to herself. Lyra still heard. Her eyes widened. Mrs. Hinshaw had never told her about her parents; Lyra doubted the matron even knew much. But this woman knew… she knew Lyra's father enough that he was an anecdote.

"You knew my father?" Lyra breathed. McGonagall pursed her lips.

"I did," she said shortly. Lyra's face fell, but she continued to pry. "Can you tell me about him?"

The professor opened her mouth, a smile on her lips, but the smile slipped away as she continued talking.

"I'm sorry, Miss Black, but unless you enroll at Hogwarts…" she trailed off. Lyra bit her lip. She would do anything for information about her parents, even if it meant forever altering her lifestyle.

"I suppose it would be in my better interest to attend…" she assented. McGonagall smiled at the young girl.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I have something for you." She pulled a letter from the pocket of her green robes and handed it to Lyra, who's eyes widened as she read the address.

Lyra Black

The Small Room

1231 Dunsinane Lane

Caithness, Scotland

"It has my room on it," she said quietly. McGonagall nodded.

"Magic, remember." Lyra grinned and turned the letter over for further examination. Lightly running her fingertips over the wax seal with the strange crest that kept the envelope closed, she asked, "Is this Hogwarts' symbol?"

"Yes," McGonagall responded, smiling to herself. 'You know, your father would have already torn into the letter. You must have inherited your mother's patie-"

She was cut off as Lyra broke the wax seal and pulled a slip of paper from the envelope. Scanning the contents of the letter, Lyra muttered under her breath as she read.

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Miss Black,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

Lyra giggled with delight as she finished reading. "So I really am magical." She was snapped out of her trance of excitement when McGonagall said sternly, "If we want to accomplish what we need to today, we have to depart soon. Go gather anything you would need to go out." Lyra nodded, still giddy.

As she hurried up the creaky old stairs, Lyra glanced out the small porthole windows. She had no idea what she had just done. If it ended badly, she had no one to blame but herself. But still, she couldn't repress her excitement for the new adventure she had longed for for so long. Once she reached her small room, she grabbed her uniform peacoat and a small, brown bag. She pinned her hair back before stepping out into the hall and scurrying back down. The professor was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with Mrs. Hinshaw. The two women were talking quietly, but their conversation soon came to a close. "I'll have her back by sundown," McGonagall promised. Mrs Hinshaw glanced up and saw Lyra waiting on the stairs.

"Have fun, dear." Lyra smiled and practically ran to the large oak front door.

"Where are we going?" she asked McGonagall eagerly as they walked outside.

"Check the envelope again," was the response. Lyra fumbled to open the envelope as she hurried to catch up with McGonagall, who set a brisk pace. Finally pulling it open, she found another slip of paper that hadn't been there before. Lyra began to read it as they walked through the village, used to reading while walking.

 _Uniform_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)_

 _One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear_

 _One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times._

 _Books_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

 _Other Equipment_

 _1 Wand_

 _1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set of glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set of brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an Owl, a Cat or a Toad._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

Lyra finished reading just as McGonagall stopped walking. Looking around, Lyra realized they were on the other side of town, near the fields. "Where am I going to get all of this?"

"That's the answer to your question from before. We are going to Diagon Alley, where we will buy all of your supplies."

Lyra grinned at the prospect. A wand, a pet, it all seemed so exciting. "How are we getting there?"

"Something called Apparition. Grab onto my arm, hold tight, and do not let go." Lyra followed her instructions and, without warning, suddenly felt herself spinning, almost, through space. Everything was dark and her body was being pressed extremely hard on all directions. Lyra prayed for it to be over and with a thud, she landed on cold ground.

 **A/N: We want to thank everyone who has read this so far. This chapter was written by both me and Cherry Mall, though it was mostly Cherry Mall. The next chapter will be Lyra in Diagon Alley, and soon after that, it's off to Hogwarts! If you have any comments or suggestions for this fic, please let us know. Thanks again!**

 **-WildernessGirl**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **Alicia Olivia Mirza: Thanks for the kind words! Don't worry, we won't turn her into a MARX Sue :-P But really, one of the things I hate most in fanfiction is Mary Sues. I'm trying hard to make sure Lyra's not one. Lyra will definitely have a lot of flaws we will be focus on a lot and there will be a lot of conflict because of them. She's going to be argumentative, competitive, belligerent, stubborn, impulsive, and proud and it will hurt her and the people around her She's human and has to deal with her flaws, too. Another big part of a Mary Sue is that nobody points out her flaws and she is sometimes even rewarded for them. Not with Lyra. We have tons of characters who will go after her for stupid stuff that she does. If you feel her slipping, just PM me or review. I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **-Cherry Mall**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lyra groaned as she pushed herself off the ground. Her stomach was churning and she wanted to throw up, but that was all forgotten as she saw Diagon Alley. They were standing on a cobblestone street lined with small shops. As McGonagall began to walk briskly along the length of the alley, Lyra trotted after her, spinning around every so often to take more of the magical place in.

Seeing a large marble building at the end of the street, her jaw dropped as she noticed small, human-like creatures at either side of the large doors. "Goblins," an elderly wizard walking near her said nonchalantly, seeing her astonishment. "And that building they're standing outside of is Gringotts, the wizard bank. Nodding in thanks, she hurried back to McGonagall's side, but was easily distracted by the other stores.

Lyra spotted a bunch of boys crowded around a storefront, their faces close to the glass. Craning her neck to see what they were looking at, she caught a glimpse of a broomstick and overheard one boy say to the other, "It's a Firebolt, the fastest broom ever!" She kept walking, not interested in the so-called Firebolt. What did interest her was a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium, which, from the looks of it, was a pet store that sold owls. Lyra looked into the store through the glass window and one owl in the window display immediately caught her eye. It was a small barn owl with dark, curious eyes and auburn tinged feathers. Its breast was made up of snowy white down. She pressed her fingertips against the glass and the owl fluttered its wings, clever thing, but she reluctantly turned away from the creature after noticing how far ahead McGonagall had gotten.

Running to catch up, Lyra stopped again when she saw Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. Her mouth watering, she stared at the frozen confections, desperately wanting one, but remembered McGonagall and turned away. The older witch was nearing a store called Potage's Cauldron Shop. Lyra hurried to the witch's side. "There you are!" McGonagall said, giving Lyra a stern look. "It is quite easy to get distracted, here, but we need to buy your supplies before you go running off." Lyra blushed and nodded in assent. McGonagall seemed satisfied with her response, and they entered the store together.

Lyra looked around, seeing stacks of cauldrons in every corner of the shop. A pure silver one caught her eye, but McGonagall shook her head sharply when she saw where Lyra's gaze traveled. Lyra quickly picked up a pewter cauldron after looking at her supply list, as that was the cauldron listed, as well as a collapsible brass telescope and a set of scales, then carried it all over to the counter, where a short woman with a warm smile waited.

Lyra smiled in return at the woman, but her smile slipped away as she realized with a jolt that she had no money to pay for her supplies. Turning to McGonagall, she asked in a feeble voice, "How am I going to pay for everything?"

"Well, your fath- I mean, you have a vault at Gringotts, the wizard bank, but for now, the school will fund your purchases. Now, let's pay for this and then we can purchase your books. " The witch pulled a leather pouch from her pocket and handed it to Lyra, its contents jingling. "This is yours now. It has enough to purchase your supplies, as well as buy a pet if you want." Lyra opened it to find an assortment of coins: large gold ones, smaller silver ones, and still smaller bronze ones.

"The gold ones are Galleons, the silver are Sickles, and the bronze are Knuts," McGonagall explained. "Seventeen Sickles make a Galleon, and twenty-nine Knuts make a Sickle." Lyra nodded, and took a moment to make a calculation in her head.

"So, four hundred and thirty-nine Knuts make a Galleon?" she asked, hoping her arithmetic had been correct.

"Yes," McGonagall responded, and Lyra thought she saw pride flash across the woman's face for a second, but it may have been imagined. Lyra turned back to the woman at the counter and asked, "How much will this be?"

"Fifteen Galleons, dearie," the woman told her, and Lyra piled 15 of the gold coins from her pouch on the counter. After thanking the woman, she and McGonagall left the shop and crossed the street to Flourish and Blotts, which from their window display, Lyra could tell it was a bookstore. Eager to buy her school books, she hurried to the door and pulled it open, McGonagall a few steps behind her.

As soon as she entered the shop, Lyra knew it was her favourite place in Diagon Alley. Dark wooden shelves lined the walls, going all the way up to the ceiling, and every inch was packed with books. She walked slowly towards one of them, but yelped in fear when she noticed her close proximity to an iron cage full of books that seemed alive. The books were covered in a fur-like material and when she looked closer, Lyra noticed small, beady eyes embedded in their covers. She bent down to read the label, making sure to be cautious, as the some of the books were shredding the others.

" _The Monster Book of Monsters,"_ she read aloud. _Seems fitting_ , Lyra thought. She stood up and after taking note that McGonagall was talking to the shopkeeper, set off to find her books, looking every so often at her supply list.

After collecting all eight books, Lyra made her way back to the front of the store, struggling slightly with the large stack. Placing the books on the counter, she waited patiently for McGonagall to finish her conversation. While she waited, Lyra noticed a book titled _Easy Spells to Fool Muggles_. Picking it up to read, she suppressed a giggle as she looked at the first spell. She would have loved to use it on the girls who teased her at the orphanage. Almost as if McGonagall had read her mind, the older witch wrapped up her conversation and made her way over to Lyra, gently taking the book out of her hands.

"You can't use magic outside of school, you know," McGonagall warned, her lips pursed, and Lyra nodded.

"I was just looking," she said hastily, and gestured to her school books. "I've finished getting my books." McGonagall nodded and looked towards the shopkeeper, who rang them up.

"That will be thirteen Galleons, please, miss." Lyra paid him the amount, piled the books into her cauldron with her other supplies, and McGonagall ushered her out of the store.

"We'll get you your robes next, I think," McGonagall told her, pointing to a shop a few doors down, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Lyra nodded and began to walk towards the building, when she noticed a poster behind McGonagall.

' _Have you seen this wizard?_ ' the poster read. It showed a moving picture of a gaunt man with a crazed look in his eye. "Who's that man?" Lyra asked McGonagall quietly. McGonagall followed her gaze and upon seeing the poster, immediately paled and pulled Lyra away.

"H-he's nobody of importance. Don't trouble yourself over it," she told the girl, stammering, and Lyra saw agitation and fear in her eyes. Lyra nodded, but her mind whirled with questions. Who was the man, and why did he scare McGonagall so much?

McGonagall opened the door to Madam Malkin's store and the bell jingled, tearing Lyra from her thoughts. A squat woman bustled toward them with a smile on her face and asked, "Hogwarts, dear?" Lyra nodded, and the woman gestured to the back of the store. "Go on back there, dear, and someone will be with you soon." Lyra moved towards where she had gestured and saw a row of footstools, presumably where her robes would be fitted. Another witch came up behind Lyra and had her stand on one of the stools, slipping a long black robe over her head. The witch began to pin Lyra's robe to fit her, and as the process went on, Lyra grew bored and was thankful when her robes were finally fitted. She paid for her newly fitted robes, as well as the black cloak, gloves, and hat first years were required to have.

After leaving Madam Malkin's, they stopped in the Apothecary to pick up basic potion ingredients for Lyra, and then Lyra realized that all that she needed was a wand. Her heart hammering, she hurried towards a shabby, narrow shop with a sign that read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. She opened the door and McGonagall followed her inside, sitting on the one chair by the door. Lyra looked around in awe, gazing at the tall shelves lined with long, thin boxes. She realized suddenly, that she and McGonagall were not alone.

An old man stood before them and he greeted her by saying, "Lyra Black. I was wondering when you'd be visiting." Lyra wondered how he knew her name, but her thoughts were turned in a different direction when he made another comment. "I remember selling your father his wand. Eleven and a half inches, fir, with phoenix tail feather. Good for transfiguration." He looked towards McGonagall. "You were his teacher, if I am correct?" McGonagall nodded, a slight smile on her lips.

"One of my best students, if not rowdy and disruptive."

"You sold my father his wand?" Lyra questioned Mr. Ollivander, her interest piqued. "What about my mother?"

"Ah yes, her wand was of alder wood, with a unicorn hair. ten inches, and quite pliable." Mr. Ollivander pulled a tape measure out of his pocket, saying, "Now then, Miss. Black. Which arm do you prefer to use with wandwork?"

"Well, I'm left handed, so-"

"Yes, that's it. Hold it out." He began his measurements: shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around her head. "You should know, Miss. Black, that every wand made by Ollivander's contains a core made from either phoenix tail feathers, unicorn hairs, and dragon heartstrings. None of our wands are the same, and a wand owned by another wizard will never work as well for you."

He dropped the tape measure, and hurried to the shelves, pulling down box after box until there were about 20, all piled on the counter. "Try this one. Holly wood, unicorn hair, seven inches." He handed it to Lyra, who held it unsurely. "Go on, give it a wave!"

Lyra waved it weakly, but the old man seized it from her hand and it was quickly replaced in its box. "No, not the one for you. Black walnut, phoenix tail feather, swishy, nine and a quarter inches." Mr. Ollivander presented her with another wand, but the minute she touched it, he snatched it back.

"No, not at all. Maybe you'll do good with this one: laurel and dragon heartstring, eight inches."

Lyra tried multiple more wands, but none were what Mr. Ollivander seemed to be looking for.

"Don't worry, Miss. Black, we'll find the wand for you. Hmm, let's try this. Fir and dragon heartstring, eight and three-quarters inches." Lyra reached for it, and as she took it, felt a tingling in her fingers. She waved it above her head, and blue sparks shot from the end of it, cascading down to the floor. Ollivander gave a shout of glee, and McGonagall clapped lightly.

"Interesting. A wand of fir, like your father. Favors owners who are strong-minded and focused." Lyra grinned. She had something in common with her father, whomever he was.

After paying 7 Galleons and thanking Mr. Ollivander profusely, Lyra and Professor McGonagall left the wand shop as the sun was setting. McGonagall began to lead Lyra towards where the had Apparated from before, but they past Eeylops Owl Emporium again and Lyra saw the owl from before, fluttering its wings.

"Oh, professor, please can I get an owl?" she begged McGonagall, who reluctantly agreed. The professor waited outside as Lyra ran into the store to buy the barn owl. She emerging ten minutes later, carrying the owl in its cage, with a large smile on her face. "Isn't she beautiful?" she gushed to McGonagall. "I've already chosen her name: Echo." The owl hooted and McGonagall smiled at the excited girl.

"Yes, she is beautiful, and you picked a wonderful name. Now, are you ready to go back to the orphanage?" Lyra nodded. "Oh, and before I forget, here is your train ticket for Hogwarts." McGonagall handed Lyra another envelope. "The train leaves from Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross Station in London on September 1st. Don't lose the ticket," she warned, and Lyra tucked the letter into her pocket, making sure it was secure. She didn't want to lose her only chance of escaping the orphanage.

"Alright, now that that's taken care of, we can take you home. Grab hold," McGonagall reminded, and Lyra prepared herself for the nauseating feeling Apparition caused her. Taking hold of the older woman's arm, she closed her eyes and they Apparated away from Diagon Alley, returning to the confines of the orphanage.

 **A/N: So we're off to Hogwarts next! I owe this all to WildernessGirl, this was her first solo chapter. I might include some links on my profile to the owl we imagine as Echo and maybe her wand… Next chapter, we'll meet the Golden Trio and the rest of the Hogwarts crew. Remember, this is '93, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in their third year. We would've had them in this chapter, but Harry comes to Diagon Alley around early August and Hermione comes right before the start of the school year. This takes place around mid-to-late July. Review if you know anybody in Lyra's year who we could include in the sorting! PM or review with questions and comments, though I do moderate flames.**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **Alicia: Yeah, Lyra definitely has a bookish side (she gets that from her mother), but she has a lot of qualities similar to Sirius, especially when it comes to pranks. Her mischievous side will come out later, and it may or not be because of the Weasley twins. ;)**

 **~WildernessGirl**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After her excursion with McGonagall, Lyra could think of nothing but Hogwarts. She spent most of her free time holed up, in her room, reading her school books. Mrs. Hinshaw had stressed that Lyra was to keep her owl in the barn, but whenever the orphans were forced outside, which was at least once a day, Lyra checked on it. She was giddy with trepidation for September 1st. Using some stray chalk that she found, she marked her window with the days left till she departed.

August flew by fast. Perhaps it was her renewed sense of worth or just her excitement, but Lyra was incredibly bubbly. She knew it would be the last time she would really be part of the orphanage and despite her abhorrence towards the system, she was becoming a sentimental fool.

When September 1st actually came, Lyra didn't actually sleep. Instead, she repacked her trunk for the eighth time in the past five days and dressed herself in her casual clothes, as all the girls had one pair of casual clothes they could wear like they were normal children. She combed her dark hair, pinned it back, and washed her face.

As Caithness was so far away from London, she had to leave at three-thirty if she wanted to make the train. It would have been far more sensible in Lyra's eyes to let her go straight from Caithness to Hogwarts, but no exceptions were to be made for her. She and Mrs. Hinshaw left straight for London. A townie named Andrew drove them there. Mrs. Hinshaw slept the entire time while Lyra tried and failed. She was too nervous. Hogwarts was such a big adjustment, and though she got a taste of it in Diagon Alley, she wasn't sure if she could handle exploring the Wizarding world and excel in school as well.

The car ride was long and tedious and Lyra was glad when it was over. Mrs. Hinshaw escorted her to the platform. Her owl, Echo, and her trunk were transported by a cart that Lyra wheeled. It was heavy and took a strain on her little arms. It was a relief when she and Mrs. Hinshaw stopped by platform 7.

"I must be going back. Andrew'll be expecting me soon," the matron said. She pursed her lips and shifted her weight but didn't move.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hinshaw. For everything," Lyra said, pouring every ounce of kindness in her body into the statement. For a moment, it appeared that there were tears brimming in Hinshaw's eyes.

"You've grown up so fast," she muttered, looking over Lyra's face. "Don't come back with any lofty ideas. Stay sensible." Mrs. Hinshaw made a brave attempt at a smile, an effort which Lyra gladly returned. In her eleven years at that orphanage, she had never received as much affection as she did in the past moments.

The girl and the matron stared at each other a moment, neither of them moving. A train flashed by them, waking Lyra from her trance. She grinned once more before walking in the opposite direction of the woman who had been the closest thing she had to a mother for over a decade.

Lyra had never been to London before. It was busy, that was obvious. She liked the bustle of the city much more than idyllic rural Scotland. Just for a moment, Lyra closed her eyes and imagined she was standing in front of the orphanage, looking out at the plains and fields. She could almost smell the dirt and grass and trees. Her grey eyes snapped opened. Stop that, she told herself. She was being frivolous. She needed to find the platform.

Lyra easily found the direction in which the platform should have been. She followed it till she reached ten. She looked around. Platform 9 ¾ should have been… right there. Lyra frantically looked around for not just Platform 9 ¾, but any fractional platform, only to find there were none. Panic begin to fill her. Was this supposed to be some sort of admissions test? If she couldn't find the platform, was she not allowed to attend Hogwarts?

Lyra looked around. There appeared to be no people of her age around, though she was of short stature. She spotted a conductor.

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked quietly. The conductor didn't move. "Excuse me, sir?" she repeated a little louder. The conductor turned. He kneeled down and said in an almost facetiously high-pitched tone, "How may I help y', miss?"

The obstinate, proud Lyra glared at the conductor, but she responded. "I'm trying to get on Platform 9 ¾, but-"

"Bloody hell!" the conductor exclaimed. "What is with all these midgets, asking m' for 9 ¾? Stop pulling my leg!" His face was red. Lyra backed away slowly. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. As she tried to escape the conductor's wrath, she accidentally bumped into a group of teenagers.

"Watch where you're going!" A boy with red hair shouted. "Sorry," Lyra mumbled, but noticing an owl on the other boy's cart, was struck with an idea. "Pardon me, but do you know where Platform 9 ¾ is?"

The red-haired boy chuckled. "First years." The only girl in their group, who had bushy, brown hair, narrowed her eyes at him. She smiled benevolently at Lyra.

"It's quite easy, actually. Just run at the wall right there. You won't crash, you'll just be on the platform." Lyra looked at the girl incredulously. Was she joking? Was she trying to make a fool out of Lyra?

"She doesn't believe you, 'Mione," The boy with the owl said, chuckling. 'Mione, as she was called, crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, you go on. Demonstrate." The boy with the owl took a running stance and ran at the wall. Lyra braced herself, but the crash never happened. The boy seemed to disappear. It was like the wall sucked him in.

"Well, you go on. Demonstrate." The boy with the owl took a running stance and ran at the wall. Lyra braced herself, but the crash never happened. The boy seemed to disappear. It was like the wall sucked him in.

"H-how…" Lyra looked at the girl. She smiled warmly. "Go on. It doesn't hurt at all." Lyra wanted to close her eyes, but she was scared that if she did, she would do something wrong. She kept them open as she ran at the wall. She was still fearful of the impact, there was none. In less than a second, it felt like, she emerged at the other side. She was on a crowded, colorful platform, with children bustling about. Before

"Go on. It doesn't hurt at all." Lyra wanted to close her eyes, but she was scared that if she did, she would do something wrong. She kept them open as she ran at the wall. She was still fearful of the impact, there was none. In less than a second, it felt like, she emerged at the other side. She was on a crowded, colorful platform, with children bustling about. Before her stood a magnificent, brilliant red steam engine. Black smoke was billowing out of it. Her jaw dropped. She looked around in wonder. This was far superior to anything she had seen in King's Cross. The boy with the owl laughed at her awe, muttering something to himself about his first time or something. When the bushy-haired girl came through, Lyra thanked her before boarding the train, dragging her trunk and Echo's cage behind her.

It was just as delightful on the inside. The compartments were a rich, warm red with fluffy seats.

Lyra noticed that the compartments were quickly filling up, so she hurried to find an empty one. She was in so much of a rush that she didn't see where she was going and tripped over someone. They both fell to the ground and Lyra lost her grip on her trunk.

"I'm so sorry!" Lyra helped the other girl up. The girl wasn't much taller than herself. Her hair was a fierce, bright red and her face was a shade of pink to match.

"No, no, the fault is mine," She brushed the dust off her trousers then looked peculiarly at Lyra. "I haven't seen you around. You're a first year, aren't you?"

Lyra nodded and tried to smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. The girl laughed.

"I'm Ginny Weasley." She held out her hand, which Lyra gladly took.

"Lyra Black." Ginny's face paled momentarily, but Lyra barely noticed. She was glad to have made a friend.

"Would you like to sit with me?" Ginny offered kindly. Lyra got the odd sense that Ginny was taking pity on her, an ickle first year, but she would rather be pitied than alone. Lyra accepted the offer and Ginny helped her carry her trunk as they moved toward the back of the train, which was emptier than the front. However, most of the compartments were still occupied, so they had to settle one with a girl about their age.

"Luna Lovegood, right?" Ginny inquired. The girl nodded. Her dirty blonde hair was long and swishy and she had wide, blue eyes that seemed to be observing everything. Despite her odd appearance, Lyra felt immediately at ease around her.

"You must be a first year," Luna said in a dreamy voice, looking at Lyra. Lyra nodded. "I'm Lyra Black." Lyra sat down.

"I'm Lyra Black." Lyra sat down.

"Any relation to Sirius Black?" Luna said casually in the same tone. Though she didn't know who that was, all the air in the compartment seemed to be sucked out as soon as Luna asked.

"I don't think so," Lyra said, furrowing her eyebrows. Why did the name sound familiar?

Ginny was even redder than before. "Oh, okay," Luna responded in the same nonchalant tone. After that question, it took a while for the girls' conversation to get back on track, but it did nonetheless.

"What house do you want to be in, Lyra?" Luna asked. Lyra shrugged. "Professor McGonagall explained them to me. I liked her, so maybe the one with the lion? The one with the snake and the -claw one both sounded interesting, too."

"Gryffindor's mascot is a lion. McGonagall's the head of it. That's my house." Ginny said proudly. "Luna is in Ravenclaw. They're okay, I suppose. Not very good at Quidditch, though." Lyra didn't know what Quidditch was. "But you don't want to be in Slytherin. Most of them are evil gits. Like Malfoy and-and To- I mean, You-Know-Who," Ginny said quickly. Lyra nodded, thinking about her answer to Ginny's question. She would have liked to be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor with one of her new friends.

Their conversations continued for hours. It got dark rather quickly, Lyra noticed as the train ride continued. Maybe it had to do with the area of the country. The train also became quite cold, causing Lyra to pull her cardigan on again and curl her knees toward her chin. She noticed goosebumps on her skin and shivered.

Suddenly, without warning, the train stopped and everything went dark. There was silence. No announcement or trolley lady coming to tell them everything was alright.

"Are we there?" Lyra whispered to Ginny. Her friend was shaking as she shook her head. "Then what's going on?"

"This isn't n-normal. I- I think we should go to another compartment."

"But the whole train's stopped-"

Ginny grabbed hold of Lyra's wrist, cutting her off. "Luna, are you coming?"

"We shouldn't leave the compartment." Luna looked at the two girls. "This is probably the cause of Haggle-"

"W-we're going, Luna. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure," Luna smiled bravely. Lyra found it odd that while the Gryffindor was shaking in fear, the Ravenclaw was standing her ground. Perhaps Ravenclaw would be the better fit for her…

"Let's find my brother and his friends. I'm sure H-Harry or Hermione know what's going on."

The two girls scurried down the hall of the train. The compartment they were looking for was near the middle of the train. Ginny and Lyra slipped in.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"My friend and I were looking for Ron-"

"Come, both of you, and sit down-"

Lyra easily recognized the voice of the girl that helped her earlier. After some shuffling, both Ginny, Lyra, and some boy named Neville were seated on the floor of the compartment. After a few moments of nothing but silence and chill came a light. A man who was far too old to be a student appeared to be holding some sort of light. "Stay where you are," he ordered.

Without warning, the door slid open. A coldness that made the prior chill pale in comparison filled the compartment. Some sort of figure that Lyra couldn't discern found its way in. Lyra felt herself being propelled through time. She was in her bed at the orphanage, freezing, all alone. She was in the yard and all the other girls were taunting her. Most oddly, she was in blackness, being transferred. She was something, something warm and familiar, and then she was moved into alien coldness.

The sensation broke. Lyra panted as she sat up. The train was moving again and the lights were back on. She was lying on the ground, Ginny hovering over her. From what she could see, everybody but the clumsy boy, Neville, was still in the compartment.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione, the bush-haired girl, called to the man. He was disheveled, to say the least, with a scarred, tired face.

"She's awake?" Lupin asked. Ginny and Hermione both nodded. "What's your name?" he asked kindly.

"Lyra. Lyra Black." Suddenly, Lupin's face collapsed. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost. An idea crossed Lyra's mind.

"Were those… ghosts?" She had read about them over the summer.

"N-no," Lupin said after a moment of silence, "Ghosts are more like benevolent spirits. Dementors… they're beasts."

"What are dementors?" Lyra asked, feeling rather stupid. Was it something that everybody was supposed to know?

Based on the expressions of her fellow students, Lyra guessed she wasn't the only confused one.

"They're spirits of sorts. They suck out all the happy memories and leave you with only the worst."

"D-did they do that to me?" Lyra asked nervously. Lupin shook his head.

"You'd be doing a lot worse if they had. Here." He broke out a piece of chocolate. "This will help." Lyra nibbled on the candy before taking a full bite. Surprisingly, it did help restore warmth to her body. She looked around for the boy who had an owl. Harry, maybe, was his name. To her shock, he still lay unconscious on the floor.

"Miss Black, I must insist that you go to the hospital wing after this," Lupin said. Lyra huffed.

"B-but what about the sorting ceremony?"

"Your health is more important than watching it."

"But she's a first year!" Ginny exclaimed. Lupin raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't have guessed. You have to be sorted, but you must promise me you'll go see Madam Pomfrey after the feast."

"I wouldn't have guessed. You have to be sorted, but you must promise me you'll go see Madam Pomfrey after the feast. She's the school nurse," he added, after seeing Lyra's confusion.

"I promise," Lyra said quietly.

Lyra rested. Harry eventually woke up. His friends hovered over him, as did Ginny, Lyra noticed. She would tease her new friend about that later. She was tired. It had been a long, exciting day. All that was left to do was, well, decide her future at Hogwarts before she would be allowed to sleep. Lyra, who had once been so excited at the prospect of the Sorting ceremony, groaned at the idea and waited tensely for the train to arrive at the station.

 **A/N: Thanks to WildernessGirl for last chapter. So, we're almost at Hogwarts. This chapter did a lot. Remus met Lyra, you can tell that he knows. More drama to ensue. Review and fav if you want.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, here's the anticipated Sorting. Sorry this is later than the other chapters we've been posting. We're going to start posting about once a week now, instead of the random syste we've been using. Enjoy, and feel free to review!**

 **~WildernessGirl**

 **Chapter 5**

The train jerked to a stop and Lyra, Luna, and Ginny disembarked together. Clinging to Ginny's arm, Lyra forced her way through the crowd, still reeling from the Dementors. She looked around the station, but could barely see anything through the dark.

"Firs' years, come with me! Firs' years over here!" she heard. Turning around, she spotted a large man swinging a lantern around, gesturing people over to him. "Firs' years over here!" he repeated. Lyra looked at Ginny, who smiled.

"That's Hagrid. He's nice, don't worry. Hagrid takes the first years to Hogwarts by boat," she explained. Lyra nodded, and let go of Ginny's arm.

"Thanks. Well, I should go then." She hesitated, and Luna noticed.

"You'll do fine. I'm sure that you'll be sorted into the house that's right for you, even if you don't think so." Lyra smiled, relieved, and gave both Luna and Ginny tight hugs.

"Go on," Luna said lightly. "We'll see you at the feast." Pushing through the crowd, Lyra made her way over to the shouting man

"No more than four to a boat!" he was saying. Looking around, Lyra saw that most of the boats were already full of nervous first years. She clambered into an empty one and soon was joined by a smiling boy who introduced himself immediately as Francis Abbott, a dark-haired girl with an unpleasant smirk, and a sullen boy who acted as if he were about to cry. Lyra pulled her robes around her (she had changed on the train) and settled on the cold wooden bench in the back of the small boat. She vaguely heard Hagrid yell something, but ignored it, and closed her eyes as the boats began to move.

"Hey. Hey!" Lyra opened her eyes a few minutes later to see the Abbott boy pointing across the lake. "Look! Over there!" Lyra followed the boy's finger to see the castle. Her eyes widened.

It was made of a dark material, granite perhaps, and it was more massive than Lyra could have ever imagined it. There were multiple high towers with lights shining from the windows. Above it was only stars. Lyra couldn't contain her glee. Hogwarts was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She sighed as she continued to stare at the majestic building. She was brought out of her reverie when she heard a scoff.

"Really? You think that's impressive?" Lyra turned around to find the dark haired girl looking at her with a sneer. "You must be a Muggleborn," the girl continued, her posture conveying that she thought herself to be above everyone else. Lyra stared at her, anger apparent in her gaze. She had read about the animosity between purebloods and 'Muggleborns' in her History of Magic copy, but didn't think it still existed. If she was a witch, she was a witch, right?

Evidently, the other girl didn't seem to think so, and sat down with a mutter about blood purity. Lyra glared at her. "Who does she think she is?" Lyra said out loud, knowing the girl would hear her.

Francis looked at her with fear. "She's Astoria Greengrass. The Greengrass' are one of the oldest wizarding families. Be careful around her," he warned, his voice low.

"And I should care because…" Lyra asked with a slight smile playing on her face. She really enjoyed annoying the other girl, who tensed at her words. Francis gave a little yelp of fear, and tried valiantly to distance himself from the two girls, but he couldn't get far. Luckily for Francis, the boats soon arrived and everyone disembarked, the Abbott boy being the quickest to the shore.

Lyra chuckled as she watched him stumble up the steps, but quickly stopped when she realized what their arrival meant. Her heart began to pound as the rest of the group made their way up the steps. She looked around, noticing that no one else seemed as nervous as she was, but perhaps they were better at disguising their emotions. Lyra wore hers on her sleeve, and it was one of her biggest weaknesses.

Clenching her robes in her fists, Lyra tried to stop her hands from shaking. Her mind whirled. What if it turned out that she didn't belong at Hogwarts? What if she was sorted into Slytherin, where Ginny said all the evil people belonged?

The more rational part of Lyra told her that there was no way the entire Slytherin house was evil, but her fears overcame that and she spent the next three minutes imagining the worst possible scenarios.

Feeling a nudge on her arm, Lyra was pulled out of her thoughts, which were becoming increasingly more depressing. A girl she hadn't seen before gestured to the front of the group, where Hagrid had just knocked on the large wooden door. They swung open and the first-years walked in.

Lyra stepped back in surprise, her worries forgotten. Sure, she had seen magical, unbelievable things in Diagon Alley, but this castle was on a whole other level. Slowly, Lyra walked through the door, trailing behind Hagrid as she gazed at the spectacular entrance hall.

Before Lyra could finish looking around, the group of first-years filed into a dimly lit corridor off of the entrance hall. The architecture seemed quite archaic. The whole castle seemed ancient to Lyra. She wondered how old it was. She was distracted from her thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said, unsmiling. Lyra grinned at the sight of the professor. She immediately felt at ease.

"Before we begin our start-of-term banquet, the Sorting ceremony will take place. The Sorting is an august tradition of Hogwarts. You will be called up and Sorted into your respective houses. Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin are all noble houses that have produced some of the brightest witches and wizards in the history of Britain. Your Housemates are your kin. You will live with them, you will take classes, you may spend your time in the House common room. While all the Houses are equal, be wise in your choices." McGonagall continued to talk, but Lyra zoned out, becoming increasingly more fearful.

"What happens when we go up?" Lyra whispered to Francis, who was beside her.

"My sister, she's a Hufflepuff, says we go up and McGonag-"

Astoria shot a seething glare at the two of them, a look which Lyra returned. She already had strong feelings of contempt towards the girl.

"My sister is in Slytherin. She said that if you're a true witch or wizard, it'll be easy. If not…" Astoria trailed off, looking at Lyra pointedly. Lyra blushed. What if she wasn't really a witch after all? Would the whole school be watching her? What if she failed? Suddenly, her fears from before came back, and vivid images of the whole Hogwarts student body heckling her as she walked to the door filled her mind. She shook off the thought, but she was still frightened.

McGonagall returned to the corridor, though Lyra hadn't realized she had left.

"The Great Hall is ready now. Stay quiet until the feast commences." McGonagall then proceeded to lead the nervous first years through a hall. A large door swung open and the first years entered the Great Hall.

Lyra gasped. The Great Hall was the most breathtaking site she had seen so far. Her gaze immediately went to the ceiling: she had read that it was enchanted. She was not disappointed.

The ceiling reflected the sky outside: a dark blue sky sprinkled with stars.

After tearing her gaze away from the ceiling, she noticed four long tables stretching the length of the hall, each with a different coloured tablecloth. Students wearing black robes like Lyra sat at each of them. Feeling like everyone was staring at her, she straightened up and focused her gaze towards the front, where another table stood, this one horizontal to the Hall. A collection of what Lyra presumed to be professors sat there. She scanned the table, looking for the man who helped her on the train. He was there, but seemed to be avoiding looking at the students.

McGonagall was standing in front of the professors' table, next to a wooden stool with an old, torn black hat. Noticing that everyone's gaze was fixed on the hat, Lyra stared at it as well.

Suddenly the hat quivered, and one of the tears opened wider. Lyra's eyes widened in astonishment as the hat began to sing.

 _"Oh you may not think I'm pretty_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall erupted in applause. Lyra clapped along with them, but her mind was elsewhere. What if she didn't belong in any of the houses? What if, what if, what if?

"When I call your name, you will come and sit," McGonagall announced, pulling out a long scroll.

Not alphabetically. Not alphabetically, Lyra thought. At the orphanage, she was always forced to go first because 'B' was in the beginning of the alphabet.

"Abbott, Francis!" McGonagall called. Francis looked terrified, and Lyra felt the same way. His mouth was agape and his eyes were wide. Lyra felt bad for the meek boy, but she murmured to him, "Go on. It'll be fine", giving him a slight shove towards the Hat. Francis hesitantly walked to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the Hat atop his head.

A minute seemed to pass by quickly as Francis sat there. Lyra's heart raced. If Abbott was the first name on the list, Black was soon to come. She nearly leaped out of her skin was the Sorting Hat boomed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Francis slowly walked over to the table covered in yellow cloth. Lyra smiled at the poor boy, though she doubted he saw her. She prepared herself for the inevitable.

"Adams, Timothy!" Another boy was called up. Lyra was still shaking in fear, but she exhaled in relief. But how many 'A' surnames could there be? There couldn't be more than a few. She would be going up to the stool soon. McGonagall had advised them to make a wise choice, but the Sorting Hat was the one that made the decision. What had McGonagall meant? She didn't know enough about all the Houses to make a solid choice, but she would like to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, with Ginny or Luna respectively. She hoped she wasn't Slytherin. All the girls at the orphanage said she was wicked, but Lyra had never listened to them. What if they were right?

Lyra was torn out of her thoughts when the Hat sorted Timothy into Ravenclaw.

"Black, Lyra!" McGonagall called. The Hall erupted in murmurs, and Lyra, looking at the professor from the train, noticed that his face was a white as a sheet. McGonagall looked at the whispering students, her face stony. They immediately quieted. Lyra felt weak at the knees. They hadn't done this for Francis or Timothy. She gathered enough courage to walk up to the stool and made her way forward.

"Black? Like that Black?" she heard somebody whisper as she sat down on the stool. Her face flushed. What Black?

McGonagall placed the Hat on her head, obstructing her view from the Hall. It was heavier than she expected. A voice tsked in her brain and Lyra almost screamed in surprise.

"Another Black," the voice stated. "Where to put you, where to put you? You are very intelligent. You'd thrive in Ravenclaw."

 _Yes, that's Luna's house_ , Lyra thought, her eyes closed.

"But there is more to you than that," the Hat continued. "Perceptive, ambitious, cunning…Slytherin would fit you as well."

 _No, no, no, no_ , Lyra shouted in her mind. I'm not evil.

The Hat laughed. "Silly girl. First years, always focused on perceptions. You're too impulsive for Slytherin anyway. Not enough thinking before reacting."

 _I am not impulsive_ , Lyra thought angrily.

"Well, maybe not," the Hat said, laughing like it was patronizing her. "Very hot-headed though. Like your father, though I see more of you mother. She was almost a Hatstall, I couldn't decide between Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

Lyra gasped, opening her eyes. _My mother?_

"Ah, family is important to you. Gryffindor, perhaps?" The Hat paused, mulling over the idea. "Hmm…You do hold a courage very few possess." Lyra crossed her fingers.

 _Gryffindor. Please put me in Gryffindor._

The Hat chuckled. "So that is your choice? A bold one, very Gryffindor of you. GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed to the Hall. Applause filled the Hall, though it was increasingly quieter than the boys had gotten. As the Hat was pulled off her head, Lyra saw McGonagall smiling slightly at her. Lyra smiled back and walked to the table covered with a red tablecloth. Spotting a seat beside Ginny, she slid onto the bench.

"You did great!" Ginny said as she hugged Lyra. "You were almost a Hatstall, you know."

 _Like my mother_ , Lyra thought absently. Her mind was focused on another fact about the evening.

"Were those whispers about, um, about me?" Ginny's face flushed as she shook her head vehemently.

"No, it was about…something else. Really," she said. Lyra knew she was lying, but didn't press it. The girls turned their attention back to the Sorting as "Cedar, William!" was sorted into Slytherin. "Fawcett, Sabrina!" became a Ravenclaw, and "Fawley, Gregory!" took after Francis, getting sorted into Hufflepuff. Lyra's mind began to drift, but snapped back to attention when "Greengrass, Astoria!" was called. Lyra's eyes narrowed as the haughty girl approached the Hat. It sat on her head for less than ten seconds before shouting, "SLYTHERIN!" Lyra scoffed. No surprise there.

The Sorting continued, and quickly went from "Hall, Emeric!", a Ravenclaw, all the way to "Vane, Romilda!", a Gryffindor. By the time "Zamsky, Eugenia!" had been sorted, Lyra was ready for bed. It had been an overwhelming day, and she was worn out.

An old man, with twinkling eyes and a long silver beard, stood up and in a kind but booming voice, he announced, "Congratulations to all our new students. We have two new professors: Professor Lupin will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts while Rubeus Hagrid has taken the job as the professor of Care of Magical Creatures." The old man, whom after his announcement, Lyra assumed he was the headmaster, gestured at the man who helped Lyra on the train, Lupin, and the man who had taken the first years to the castle. The headmaster's voice took on a grave tone as he continued. "Before we commence, I'd like to give a warning to all the students. Since the recent escape of Sirius Black, the Ministry has insisted that Hogwarts take extra security measures. I assure you, all students here are safe. However, we have been forced to instate Dementors, ugly beasts who you should keep a safe distance from, around the castle. I urge all students to stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Now, onto much more important business," the man said jovially with a spark in his eyes, "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"What did that mean?" she asked Ginny. Ginny chuckled. "Oh, it's nonsense. Just Dumbledore being Dumbledore."

"Is he…okay?" Lyra inquired. Ginny smiled.

"Oh, of course! He's supposed to be one of the most brilliant wizards in the world! Look, food!" Ginny pointed at the table. Lyra's eyes widened. The once-empty table was now crowded with dishes. Lyra, her stomach growling with hunger and all thoughts of bed forgotten, heaped her plate with various foods. Ginny followed suit and the two girls ate in pleasant silence together.

"Oi!" Lyra looked up. The red haired boy from the train, Ginny's brother, was staring at her.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked.

He nodded. "So...Black, is it?" His voice was cold. Suddenly, he grunted in pain, and the girl from the train, Hermione, glared at him. Lyra suspected she had kicked him under the table.

"Ron!" she exclaimed. "Black is a perfectly common Muggle last name."

"Are you a Muggleborn?" Ron asked bluntly, earning him another kick from Hermione.

"That's rude, Ron," she scolded.

"I didn't mean it like that 'Mione." Hermione glared at him. He ignored her, turning back to Lyra. "So, are you?"

Lyra flushed. "Er, both my parents went here, if that's what you mean," Ron smirked at Hermione.

"What were their names?" he pressed. Lyra scowled. That question was not one she wanted to answer. Her parentage was always a sore spot for her. Deciding to ignore the question, she turned back to her food. "Hello? What were their names?" Ron repeated.

Lyra felt her anger grow. "I don't know!" she burst out. She glared at him.

"Leave her alone, Ron," Ginny said coldly. "So what if her last name is Black? It doesn't matter."

"But-"

"Harry!" Hermione interrupted, turning to the black haired boy with glasses who had passed out. "Could you please tell your dimwitted friend to shut up before he says something stupid?"

"Too late for that," Ginny muttered.

Ron scowled. "At least I'm not the one with the bloody possessed cat," he muttered defensively, causing both Harry and Ginny to stifle giggles. Lyra smirked, but she was still peeved at Ron. Hermione crossed her arms.

"Crookshanks? Possessed?" she spluttered. "He-he's lovely! It's only in his nature to-"

"He's victimizing Scabbers!" Ron spat.

"Finally learned a big word, haven't you?" Ginny quipped. Even Harry laughed. Ron fumed.

Ginny continued to tease Ron, and Lyra was glad of the change in topic. She didn't contribute to the conversation much, but enjoyed watching Ron get his comeuppance.

Soon after, the mostly empty dishes disappeared and were replaced by dishes piled with any sweet imaginable. Lyra helped herself to what people called a Treacle Tart, some pumpkin pasties, and a large slab of chocolate cake. She had never been so full in her life. She didn't even know if she could walk.

When the feast was over, a tall girl who introduced herself as Victoria Shacklebolt escorted all the Gryffindor first years ("First years, follow me please"), out of the Great Hall.

The group walked up five flights of stairs, all of which were moving. Victoria was gesturing with her hands, explaining something, Lyra assumed, but she tuned it out and took in everything she could.

She was looking amusedly at the inhabitants of a magic portrait squabbling with each other when Victoria stopped the group and cleared her throat, tearing Lyra's attention away.

"This is the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady." She pointed behind her to a portrait of a squat lady in a pink dress. "You enter via password. The password changes every fortnight, so make sure to pay attention to the message board." Lyra nodded along with the other first years. "The current password is _Fortuna Major_." The portrait swung out from the wall, and they made their way into the common room.

"Girls' rooms are through that door, boys' rooms are through the other!" Victoria called, pointing to the doors. Lyra immediately went through the girls' door and hurried up the stairs there.

Keeping her eyes on the doors, she stopped when she came across the one with her name on it. There was a list of girls on the door, and she quickly scanned it to see the identities of her dorm mates.

 _Romilda Vane_

 _Lyra Black_

 _Polly Hillcroft_

 _Sin Jun Cheong_

 _Prudence Macron_

Lyra pushed open the door. Inside, there were five four-poster beds with red curtains. She found her trunk and Echo's cage at the foot of the farthest bed to the left. Opening her trunk, she pulled her nightgown from the orphanage out and quickly changed, wanting to get to sleep. She didn't even bother unclipping her hair from the braid it had been in. Climbing into bed, Lyra noticed the other girls as they walked in.

She quietly introduced herself to them all, but they were all tired and soon proceeded to get ready for bed. Lyra slid the curtains closed after saying a quick good night to the other girls and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes, replaying her day in her head.

The train ride, the Dementor attack, the boats, the Sorting, Dumbledore's warning…

Dumbledore's warning, Dumbledore's warning! Lyra's eyes flashed open and she sat up suddenly. "Since the recent escape of Sirius Black, the Ministry has insisted that Hogwarts take extra security measures," she thought, remembering the headmaster's words. "Since the recent escape of Sirius Black…" Sirius _Black_.

Lyra's mind raced. Was he her relative? Why did Hogwarts have to take "extra security measures"?

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she realized something, and a harsh shh! came from the outside of her curtains. "Sorry!" she whispered back absently as she mulled over her new revelation.

If Hogwarts had to take "extra security measures" because of Sirius Black, it probably meant he wasn't a good person. People who grew up in the Wizarding World had to know that. Her last name was Black. They assumed she was related to him, they assumed she was evil. That was why they were whispering about her!

Her excitement washed away as she realized that what if she really was evil? _But I'm not Slytherin!_ her mind protested.

 _Yes, but the Sorting Hat said you'd fit there too_ , replied a voice in the back of her head.

 _But I'm too impulsive for Slytherin!_ He said so, Lyra thought as she lay back down.

 _But you are perceptive, ambitious, and cunning. All Slytherin qualities_ , the voice countered.

"I'm not Slytherin!" Lyra shouted, silencing the voice. She realized she had spoken aloud and heard someone say, "Shut up, Black." Lyra quickly apologized, but the murmurs continued.

"She's crazy!" someone else muttered. Lyra pulled the covers over her head, attempting to block out the hushed voices.

"Like her father," someone responded, and laughter filled the room. Lyra sighed, and rubbed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek.

 _I don't need these girls as friends_ , she thought. _Besides, I have Luna, and Ginny! It doesn't matter what they think._ She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Sirius Black and Dementors filling her mind.

 **A/N: Hi guys! WildernessGirl wrote all of this! Great, isn't this? As proud, true**

 **Ravenclaws, we both really wanted to make Lyra one of us, or perhaps a Slytherin to cause some conflict and have an excuse to talk about her Black heritage(which we will), but at the end of the day, she's Sirius Black's daughter. Plus, her mom was in Gryffindor. Lyra is very intelligent, but this is often overshadowed and undermined by her impulsiveness, her temper, and her stubbornness. We used the song from the first book because we don't know the one from 1993, though we bet it was different.**

 **What's coming next? Well, she hasn't** _ **formally**_ **met the Golden Trio, but she'll be friends with them. We don't want to force their friendship, though. It's unrealistic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have gone through so much together that we couldn't just add a first year in the mix and have her immediately befriend them. She'll be closer with Ginny and Luna than with them. WildernessGirl traded me chapter one for chapter six, so she'll write next one(if you couldn't tell, I'm the even chapters and she's the odd). As always, PM or review with any questions. If you liked it, follow, fav, and review! Flames will not be responded to. Special thanks to all our new followers and our old ones!**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **IamsebastianButter: Thanks for the kind words! Hope you enjoy the update!**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **LunaPLove: Oh, we've been thinking about this a lot. Lyra's story will not center around some boy, but she will have a love interest or two… We still haven't settled on a guy, though. We're compiling a list right now, though none of them seem worthy of her. :-P ~Cherry Mall**

 **Alicia Olivia Mirza: Thanks so much! Cherry Mall worked really hard on that chapter. But you are totally right, poor Remus. He knew about Harry, and seeing him again as a professor instead of "Uncle Moony", plus discovering his best friend (that he believes to be evil) has a daughter… I wouldn't want to be him.**

 **~WildernessGirl**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lyra awoke the next morning to the whispers and giggles of her roommates. However, when she opened her bed hangings, they all quickly looked away from each other and stopped talking.

"You know," Lyra commented. "I could hear you last night, and you knew that, yet you actually are taking into consideration my feelings today? How generous," she added dryly.

One girl stepped forward. Romilda Vane, Lyra remembered. "Not everything is about you, _Black_ ," the girl spat.

"My name's Lyra. What do surnames have to do with it?" Lyra asked, feigning ignorance.

Romilda scoffed. "Whatever, _Lyra_."

"Thanks!" Lyra said brightly. She had dealt with girls like Romilda at the orphanage. All she had to do was ignore their negative comments. Pulling her robes and uniform from her trunk, she quickly changed and the rest of the girls followed suit, resuming their whispering. Lyra rolled her eyes and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Lyra followed a group of what appeared to be upperclassmen to the Great Hall, where she was told that she would be having breakfast. She was overcome by light as she entered the grand room, if room could even describe it. The orphanage was smaller than it. It seemed different in the daylight, but no less gorgeous. Lyra looked about the Hall for a moment before finding the Gryffindor table. She sat down at the end of the table where she could be alone. She was exceedingly nervous for classes to begin. What if she found out that some terrible mistake had been made and she wasn't actually a witch? She would be sent back to the orphanage to wallow in despair until…

Her train of thought was interrupted by somebody sliding next to her. Lyra quickly looked up to find the kind face of Ginny Weasley.

"Good morning!" Lyra said, still reeling from her fearful thoughts. Mentally scolding herself for still doubting the truth of the matter and setting those thoughts aside, she watched as Ginny reached for a platter of toast and served herself.

"'Morning. How did you sleep?"

"Well, I suppose. How about you?"

"Great! I always sleep better here than at home, what with my four brothers." Lyra's eyes widened.

"You have _four_ brothers?" she exclaimed.

"Six, actually, but the oldest, Bill, and then Charlie, they don't live at home anymore. Bill works for Gringotts, the bank, and Charlie's in Romania, working with dragons. Percy's the next one, but he's a prat. He's Head Boy this year, and it's going to his head, making him think he's all important." Ginny nodded towards a tall, red headed boy sitting at the front of the table. "Git.

Then there's Fred and George, the twins. They're known for their pranks. You'll meet them eventually. Finally, Ron. You met him yesterday. Again, another git." Lyra giggled.

"That sounds wonderful." Ginny scoffed.

"Maybe to you. Wait until you have to live with them." Lyra grinned. Then, as she glanced at Lyra's plate, Ginny exclaimed, "How have you not gotten food yet?"

"Dunno, nerves I guess."

"You'll do fine. But, you won't do as well on an empty stomach." The older girl heaped Lyra's plate with food and set it back down. "Now, eat."

Lyra wasn't paying attention, even as she dug into the food. A pile of papers was being passed down the table and Lyra knew what they were: timetables. Her heart sped up as the stack got closer to her. Ginny reached for it, shuffling through the papers to find the one marked with her name. "Oh, here you go, Lyr, your's is close to the top." Lyra smiled at the nickname as Ginny passed the paper over. The small girl scanned the timetable, grinning as she noted the free period she had right after breakfast that day. Snatching Ginny's out of the girl's hands, Lyra saw that their free periods did not overlap, but they had lunch, as well as afternoon break at the same time each day. Lyra wondered if she shared any breaks with Luna and scanned the Great Hall for her. However, she could not see the blonde girl amidst the crowds of students that were growing exponentially. She resigned to eating, and as students began to leave the Hall early, she joined them after saying a quick goodbye to Ginny and getting directions to the library. Glancing back at her timetable, Lyra realized that she had 45 minutes until her first class, Transfiguration. She headed back to the Gryffindor dorms to retrieve her bag, and then made her way to the library.

She pulled out her Transfiguration book once she was settled at a table. She had skimmed it during the summer but she wanted to read it thoroughly before her class. She opened the introduction. She also grabbed a Muggle pencil that she had brought from the orphanage. Quills were not versatile like pencils were. She annotated the passages, underlining important information, circling incantations, and so on. She lost track of time until the other "firsties" began to trickle out of the library.

Looking at the clock, Lyra realized that she had fifteen minutes until class started. However, she wanted to be there early. With directions from a begrudging third year Hufflepuff girl, Lyra quickly found her way to the Transfiguration classroom. Nobody had arrived yet. An oddly positioned cat was the only sign of life. Lyra took her seat in the front row, far to the right. She pulled out her materials and waited for her classmates to arrive. Bored, she started to annotate the first chapter of the book.

A girl with a blue tie ( _Ravenclaw_ , Lyra remembered) was the second to arrive. She rolled her eyes and scoffed at Lyra before taking a seat towards the middle. Gradually, more students began to arrive until the classroom was nearly full. Lyra didn't look up from the textbook until a loud crack resounded through the classroom.

Standing right where the cat had been was Professor McGonagall. The students looked at her, astonished.

Lyra was just as surprised. Did she just… transform from cat to human? Before Lyra could gather her thoughts, roaring applause broke out. Lyra found herself joining in. It _was_ impressive magic. The corners of McGonagall's mouth turned up ever so slightly before she raised her voice.

"Thank you. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, this is first year Transfiguration. I am Professor McGonagall. Unfortunately, you will not be learning such advanced magic as I've just performed this year. Transfiguration is a serious form of magic with dire consequences if you do not listen to me. Homework will be assigned nightly. I will use the standard grading scale on every assignment and will return them promptly. I will not hesitate to award House points _or_ deduct them or even assign detentions. Now, please take notes."

McGonagall proceeded to explain what Transfiguration was and the basics of the class. She talked of the same subject until the end of the period. The homework was six inches on the relevance of Transfiguration in a magical curriculum and what purposes it might serve in the Wizarding world. As she assigned it, the entire class groaned except for Lyra. Six inches was practically nothing. It was half a sheet of Muggle paper! Lyra rolled her eyes they began to protest. _There_ is _an advantage to being raised by Muggles_ , she thought proudly. As the students' protests were silenced and they began to leave the classroom, McGonagall said, "Miss Black, a word, please." Lyra stood up unsurely while students around her smirked, saying things like, "Oh, you're in for it now, _Black_." Making her way to the front of the classroom, she glared at them, and for some reason, the whispers actually stopped.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked, reaching McGonagall's desk.

"Now that you are at Hogwarts, I will hold true to the promise. If you still want to know about your parents, you may meet me in my office this Friday, at six o'clock sharp." Lyra nodded eagerly.

"Thank you, Professor," she said profusely. McGonagall nodded in reply, and gestured toward the door.

"You don't want to be late for your next class, do you?" Lyra understood that she was dismissed and after gathering her things, left the room to find the Charms classroom.

Charms passed quickly, in the same manner Transfiguration did. The professor, Flitwick, taught the class about the history of Charms and explained the class specifics. He assigned them homework as well: four inches about Charms' history. Again, the class complained, but Lyra was eager to begin. It was _magic homework_! How could they not be excited?

Lunch was next, and Lyra went straight from Charms to the Great Hall. From what she could tell, Ginny wasn't there yet, but she spotted Luna's blonde hair across the Hall at the Ravenclaw table. Lyra made her way over and tapped Luna's shoulder. "Hey, I didn't see you this morning. How are you?" she asked. Luna smiled.

"I should be asking _you_ that. You did wonderfully at the Sorting." Lyra felt her face flush.

"Not really, but thanks." She glanced around the Hall, noticing glares coming from the other Ravenclaws at Luna's table. "I should probably go, it doesn't seem like they want me here."

"Okay, I'll see you later. Goodbye," Luna said dreamily. Lyra waved and headed to the Gryffindor table. Ginny walked into the Hall, accompanied by her brother, Ron, and his friends. Harry and Hermione. Lyra waved to her and the group joined her.

"So, how were your first classes?" Ginny asked as they sat down.

"So amazing! The professors assigned only a little homework, but the whole class complained. I mean, it's only less than a page of Muggle paper!" Ron and Harry exchanged glances as they served themselves.

"Looks like we've got another 'Mione on our hands," Harry joked, looking at Hermione. The older girl rolled her eyes, reaching for a sandwich.

"Lyra's right, you know. The homework we get is barely anything!" she told them. She turned to Lyra. "They always foist their work onto me," Hermione explained in annoyance.

"Well, you're good at it," Ron replied.

Lyra scoffed. "Like that's an excuse."

Hermione smiled sweetly at Ron. "Exactly!"

Harry rolled his eyes and cut into the conversation by asking Lyra, "What class do you have next?"

"Er..." She checked her timetable. "Potions." Harry grimaced.

"Snap, th' Pofions rofessor, is suc' a gat," Ron interjected, his mouth full.

Ginny slapped him. "Chew with your mouth closed, Ronald!" He swallowed.

"Snape, the Potions professor, is such a git," he repeated. Lyra bit her lip, apprehensive.

"Ron, don't talk about a teacher that way," Hermione scolded. "You and Harry just don't like him. Besides, you shouldn't form Lyra's opinion for her."

"Why's he a git?" Lyra asked.

Hermione sighed. "Now you'll scare her with your fantastical thoughts. Essentially, they don't like him because he favors the Slytherins, being their Head of House and all."

"He does!" Harry protested. "He hates the Gryffindors, me specifically."

"Don't flatter yourself," Hermione snipped. "Well, anyway Lyra, he isn't that bad." Lyra was unsure, overwhelmed by the multiple opinions about the Potions professor.

"Lyra, do you want to go outside? We still have 30 minutes before classes begin again," Ginny asked. Lyra nodded, grabbing her bag. The two girls left the Great Hall and made their way outside.

Ginny showed Lyra the Black Lake she had crossed the night before (it looked different in the daytime) and then dragged her to the Quidditch pitch.

"Harry plays Quidditch," the redhead mentioned casually. Lyra smirked, and nudged her friend.

"Sure he does," she said slyly, watching as Ginny blushed a fiery red.

"Let's go back, you have to get to Potions." Lyra scoffed playfully as her friend tried to change the subject of their conversation.

"I still have-"

"Come on, Lyra!" Ginny called over her shoulder as she started running back towards the castle. Lyra chased after her, yelling, "I'm talking to you about that later!"

They ran into the entrance hall, and parted ways, Lyra heading to the dungeons and Ginny going to History of Magic.

When Lyra arrived in the Potions classroom, she found the only available seat next to the prejudiced girl from the boats, Astoria Greengrass. Sighing, she reluctantly walked over and plopped into the chair.

Ignoring the brunette girl, Lyra pulled her Potions textbook from her bag and opened to the page she had last read that summer. She heard Astoria scoff as she began to read, but Lyra ignored the Slytherin. Astoria made another sound of disgust as Lyra turned the page, and she looked up, slamming the book shut.

"Yes?" she asked haughtily. Astoria smirked.

"So, Black, you need to read to understand the complex world of magic?" The girl's voice was condescending and overly sweet. The surrounding Slytherins chuckled and Lyra's eyes flashed with anger.

"No, I brought this for you," she shot back. Astoria's smirk vanished and she opened her mouth to retort, but a drawling voice spoke behind them.

"If you two are quite finished, I'd much appreciated it if I could begin my lesson." Lyra turned around to see a tall man with sallow skin and dark, greasy hair. The man moved to the front of the classroom. "I am Professor Snape, the Potions master here at Hogwarts, and in my class I do not enjoy the sounds of squabbling children." He looked directly at Lyra, his dark eyes filled with resentment, for a reason she couldn't comprehend. "Three points from Gryffindor." Lyra started to protest, but Snape began roll call and she was silenced.

Hers was the first name on the list, and Snape paused after Lyra responded. "So you are Miss Black. Tell me, where would I find a bezoar?" The question surprised Lyra, and as she thought about why he possibly could be asking her it, Snape asked, "You don't know?"

Lyra realized she _did_ know. She had read about it only a few minutes ago! "The stomach of a goat," she quickly answered. Snape seemed surprised she knew it.

"And the difference between monkshood and aconite?" Now _that_ she had read about over the summer.

"They're the same plant. It also is called wolfsbane." Lyra expected to earn points from knowing the correct answers, but quickly realized she wouldn't. Snape's face was contorted with anger.

"That will be another three points from Gryffindor for reading the textbook before classes commenced," he snapped, turning to face the rest of the class. "Now, you all should be writing this down! When you finish, copy down this." He waved his wand and a list of rules appeared on the chalkboard at the front of the room.

Lyra scowled at the Potions professor as she got out her quill and ink and began to write furiously. Three points off for reading the textbook?! Plus another three points from the beginning of class, and she had already lost _six_ points for Gryffindor. On her first day! She realized she had made hole in her parchment from pressing too hard with her quill, and attempted to lighten her grip.

 _Ron and Harry were right_ , she thought. _Snape_ is _a git. Why does he hate me so much?_

* * *

She asked the same question to Ginny when they ran into each other in the corridor, Lyra on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny shrugged.

"Maybe he just doesn't like people with black hair," the Weasley joked, flicking a lock of Lyra's dark hair off her shoulder. "He doesn't like Harry either, and Harry's got black hair." Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Yes, that's why the Potions professor of Hogwarts appears to hate my guts. He takes offense to people with dark hair." Ginny smirked.

"You're so sarcastic," she commented, turning away. "I have to get to Charms! See you!"

Lyra smiled and began making her way to the DADA classroom.

When she arrived, Lyra immediately spotted an open spot at a table near the front of the class. A girl in Ravenclaw colors occupied the seat next to it, and after glancing around, Lyra deduced that she would prefer to sit there, rather than with the other Gryffindor girls. She headed towards the seat, only to be knocked to the ground by a boy who also sported the Ravenclaw ensemble. Glaring at him, she pushed herself to her feet.

"What, Black, you gonna murder me? Blast me to pieces? Did you learn from your father?" he taunted her. Lyra moved towards him, spurred by the anger steadily growing in her chest. He smirked, and Lyra realized this was what he wanted her to do. Clenching her fists, she attempted to calm herself, and turned away.

"Coward," the boy spat. "Where's that Gryffindor bravery, Black?" That did it for Lyra. She spun around and was about to inflict some type of bodily pain on him, but a voice stopped her.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw. I do not tolerate bullying in this class." The boy scowled as Lyra turned around to see Professor Lupin looking unusually angry, considering the fact that he had seemed so nice on the train. "Miss Black, please take your seat." Lyra did so, and heard as the boy muttered, "Is he gonna take points from _her_ for attempted murder?" The boy's friend snickered.

"That will be another ten points from Ravenclaw." The boy's jaw dropped, and Lyra understood his astonishment. Lupin had heard the boy from all the way across the room! She brushed it off quickly and turned her thoughts to revelling in his punishment.

She was still smirking when Lupin began the lesson, explaining that their curriculum that year would be focused on Dark creatures. "Does anyone have an example of one?" he asked, scanning the classroom. Lyra's hand shot up. "Miss Black?"

"Grindylows." He nodded, and Lyra thought she caught a glimpse of a smirk playing across his face. Why it was there, she didn't know.

"Good. Anyone else?" The Ravenclaw girl beside Lyra was called on, and she answered, "Hinkypunks." Lupin nodded again, going on to tell the class about the guidelines of his class, as well as homework expectations.

At the end of class, Lyra debated asking whether or not Lupin would be assigning them homework. She decided on not, seeing as she didn't want her classmates to hate her more than they already did. Luckily, Lupin informed them he wouldn't be giving them homework during the first week, although they should expect an assignment on Friday. The class was obviously relieved, and Lyra didn't particularly care.

She gathered her things and stood up, seeing Lupin look at her again with an odd expression on his face. Why did he keep doing that?

She left the classroom, and after checking her timetable, discovered that classes were over for her. Lyra made her way to the library.

She returned to the slightly secluded table she had sat at in the mornng, and pulled out a roll of parchment, her quill and ink, and her textbooks. She had Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms homework all due tomorrow.

Electing to start on her Transfiguration homework first, she opened that textbook and began to write. Less than half an hour later, she stopped and measured her work so far, discovering that she had around seven inches of writing, one more than the requirement. She quickly scribbled a concluding sentence and set the roll of parchment aside.

Remembering Snape's anger towards her, she began her Potions homework next. He had asked the class to write five inches on the importance of bezoars, which she knew was because of her. That homework was quickly completed as well, and she made sure to have exactly five inches. McGonagall probably wouldn't mind her extra writing, but judging on the way Snape had reacted to her prior knowledge of the class, he would hate it.

Charms was next, and that was finished the fastest, seeing as it was only four inches she had to write. Looking up at the clock, she realized it was 6:30 already and dinner had already started. She threw her things haphazardly into her bag and ran-walked quickly, actually, but according to Madam Pince, it had been running-out of the library.

She hurried to the Great Hall and slipped inside, finding Ginny sitting by Ron, Harry, and Hermione quickly by looking for the long red hair.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked.

"Library. I was finishing my homework," Lyra replied, reaching for the dish of shepherd's pie.

Ginny waited until Lyra had begun eating to reply. "Ron and Harry _were_ right. You're like a mini Hermione!" Lyra rolled her eyes. Hermione, across the table, rolled hers as well.

"I'm not sure if I should take offense to that or not." Harry grinned.

"Come on, 'Mione, you know we're kidding." Hermione sighed.

"Well, you and Ron were also right about something else," Lyra addressed Harry.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Snape." Lyra scoffed. "He hates me!" Harry nodded.

"Exactly! What did he do?"

"Well, first, he docked three points from me for arguing with this snobbish Slytherin girl." Ron and Harry exchanged looks.

"We told you he favored them," Ron said matter-of-factly.

"Shut up, Ron," Ginny said, blushing when Harry grinned at her.

"Then," Lyra continued. "He quizzed me on these random things, like the place to find a bezoar." At this, Harry chuckled.

"That's what he did to me. He must really hate you."

"Yeah, but then he docked three more points, because I actually knew the answers! He said some rubbish about how I shouldn't have read the textbook before school started."

"Mini Hermione," Ron muttered, warranting him glares from both Lyra and Hermione.

"Cut it out, Ronald," Hermione said snappishly. Ron nodded assent, a slightly scared look on his face.

Lyra smirked. Turning to Ginny, she whispered, "Don't think I didn't see that blush after Harry smiled at you. We are _definitely_ talking about this later."

"Fine," Ginny whispered back. "But shut up, for now."

"Fine." Lyra conceded, smirking. The girls turned back to the third years, who had begun a conversation about Quidditch. After discovering Lyra didn't know what it was, the boys launched into a detailed explanation that lasted till the end of dinner and left Lyra feeling exhausted.

She and Ginny bode the group goodnight and headed back to the Gryffindor common room, then into their respective dormitories.

Lyra found that, like the night prior, she was the first to arrive. She quickly prepared for bed, and climbed into her four-poster, drawing the hangings shut. She didn't want to deal with her roommates that night.

She closed her grey eyes and smiled as she thought over the day. Sure, her fellow classmates were gits, but the classes were wonderful by contrast. And on Friday she would learn the identities of her parents! Her smile grew. After years of dreams and parents created by her imagination, she would finally learn who they really were.

The smile vanished when she remembered her realization from the night before. What if Sirius Black really _was_ her father? She shook the thought away, uneager to repeat the conversation she had with herself that night. Instead, she focused on imagining her mother, her smile returning.

Lyra's mind fogged as she drifted to sleep, but the visions of her mother and the smile remained.

 **A/N: So, so, so sorry this is a month late. We left civilization for three days to go on a stupid school trip in the woods and also had a huge project due that we only had a week to work on. I got caught up on homework and such, but school's out on Friday (FREEDOM!) so both of us will be free to write. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially Lyra's interactions with both Snape and Lupin. Can anybody guess why Snape hates her so much? 20 points to your house if you review your opinion! Lupin's class was fun to write because Lyra is such a bookworm, and Lupin sees this in his class. (The smirk Lyra spots is because she is the child of** _ **Sirius Black**_ **and yet she loves school, something that she got from her mother). On another note, the Dean versus Francis poll is closed. Just so you know, the poll only plays a part in our decision, so the winner might not be the one Lyra will eventually end up with. So, again, very sorry for the late update. Please forgive me! *smiles hopefully* I know you have if you review! (Cherry Mall wants to kill me though. She's already done with chapter twelve. Not my fault that I have a life! Jk, I actually don't. I've just been reading other fanfics. Ok, done with that. You probably don't wanna hear about my life.) Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **~WildernessGirl**

 **Replies to Reviews**

 **koalalover78: Thanks so much! That means a lot. As for the timeline, we actually made one, so here you go.**

 **1980, July 31: Harry is born**

 **1981, early August: Lyra is conceived**

 **1982, May 4: Lyra is born**

 **~WildernessGirl**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lyra's grey eyes snapped open as she sprang up in her bed. It was still dark outside, but there was a hint of light. She glanced at the clock that sat on the adjacent table. It was about 5:45. Lyra turned over and squeezed her eyes shut, but found herself to not be tired. It was a Saturday morning. The week had passed so quickly since the start of term. Yesterday, she had taken flying lessons with the rest of the first-year Gryffindors and the first-year Ravenclaws. She tried to be polite and courteous, but Madam Hooch seemed particularly irritated by her and, oddly enough, had told her at the beginning of class that there was to be "no frivolity or mischief of any kind." She had regular classes, but she was drained from the lesson. She fell asleep almost immediately when she got back to her dormitory.

Lyra sat up once again and pulled back the crimson curtains. Her roommates were still fast asleep. Lyra decided that she would get to the bathroom before everybody else and then go to the library. She put on a fluffy red robe and slippers and grabbed a towel and a pair of clothes. She walked quietly to the showers. It was odd wandering the castle so early. The silence made her feel so vulnerable, as if something wicked was about to creep up on her.

When she stepped out of the shower, Lyra pointed her wand at her dripping hair. Hermione had taught her a hair-drying charm the day before. She pulled on her jeans and her jumper. It had to be past six. The library should be open. She found her way back into the dormitory, where the others girl still lay, and grabbed her books and parchment. She had a Charms essay due that Monday.

When Lyra arrived at the library, she noticed she wasn't the only one there. An older girl was scribbling furiously at one table and two of Lyra's classmates were working on something. Lyra ducked her head as she made her way to a table in the back of the room. The atrocious rumours had reached all corners of the school. Most of Hogwarts probably believed them, too.

Lyra pushed the thought out of her head. She had a meeting with Professor McGonagall that night, where she was to learn about her parents. Lyra could hardly contain her trepidation. Despite the whispers and dirty stares, Lyra was determined to make the most out of her first Saturday. She opened her Charms book and began to work on her essay. She had been in the library for almost two hours when she realized the time. It was almost time for breakfast and she was rather hungry. She left her things on the table, but made her way into the corridor and from there into the Great Hall.

Ginny and Hermione were already sitting at the Gryffindor table, looking rather tired. Lyra slid into the seat beside Ginny.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully. Ginny shot a glare at the young girl, bags evident under her eyes. Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Why are you so jolly? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Ginny groaned. Lyra wrinkled her nose.

"I've been up for hours. I finished my Charms essay and need to read a few chapters for Potions and Transfiguration."

"Hours?" Ginny's eyes widened at the thought. Lyra grabbed a bowl and poured herself some Pixie Puffs, feeling rather pleased with herself, if not supercilious.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" she asked at last, breaking the silence. Even Hermione couldn't contain her laugh.

"Up early on a Saturday morning? That goes against their very nature. No, I expect they'll be asleep until ten." Hermione scoffed. She was reading a rather thick book, Lyra noticed.

"What are you reading, 'Mione?" She inquired. Hermione looked up. "Oh, it's just Numerology and Grammatica, my Arithmancy book. I have to read a chapter for homework."

"Is there a Hogsmeade trip today?" Ginny asked.

"I think so."

Lyra got the dreadful feeling that she was missing a crucial detail. "What's Hogsmeade?"

"Oh, I forgot. It's the local village. Third years and up get to visit it." Ginny responded.

"Oh," Lyra murmured. She was hoping Hermione would help her study, but if she was leaving for the day…

"I wish second-years could go…" Ginny sighed. "It'll just be me and you, then, Lyr."

Lyra nodded. "I have a meeting with McGonagall tonight," she said casually.

"What for?" Ginny asked, engrossed. Lyra blushed. She wasn't sure if she wanted to say in front of Hermione.

"Oh, just trivial matters. She was the one who fetched me, so I expect it's about that." Lyra lied, giving Ginny a look. She felt guilty deceiving Hermione, but she didn't know if she could be trusted. Of course she can, a voice inside her yelled, but Lyra ignored it, and making sure Hermione wasn't watching, mouthed, my parents, to Ginny. The girl's eyes went wide with excitement as she gave a small shriek of glee at Lyra's fortune. Hermione snapped her book shut and glared at Ginny, who blushed and apologized profusely. Lyra's thoughts turned to a dream she had the night before. .It was about her parents.

Her father and mother were both dark-haired, but she had his eyes. They lived in the country and Echo flew around above their heads and they were all so happy. It pained her to fantasize about such things, but she couldn't help herself.

The rest of the day blurred past Lyra. She finished the rest of her homework and read in the courtyard for a little bit until she accompanied Luna to the Black Lake, where she continued to read as Luna searched for some creature. She read the Prophet. Still, she counted down the minutes till the clock hit six. When it did, she leaped from her seat in the Great Hall and ran to McGonagall's office. She quickly rapped on the door. McGonagall soon materialized, a grimace apparent on her face. Though she was practically bursting with happiness on the inside, Lyra was startled by the professor's grim expression.

"Good evening, Miss Black." McGonagall said slowly. Lyra smiled, taking a seat. McGonagall sat at her deskThe professor exhaled.

"Would you like a biscuit?" McGonagall offered.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Lyra responded, her heart pounding.

"I suppose I should get started, then," McGonagall muttered, looking at the floor. "Many years ago, very close to here, a young woman showed up on my doorstep in the middle of the night. I recognized her easily, she was a very bright former student of mine. I let her into my home, fearing the worst for her. However, I soon noticed a bundle in her arms. She was carrying a child that couldn't have been more than a few weeks old."

Lyra's breath hitched as she waited for the story to continue.

"She began to beg me, implore me, to relieve her of the child. She spoke quite cryptically. She told me the only way to keep her child safe was for me to hide it and gave me only its name and birthday. She handed the baby to me before vanishing. I haven't seen her since."

Lyra felt her heart sink down into her stomach, but she continued to stare at McGonagall, despite the tears welling in her eyes.

"Your mother, before she left, she instructed me to put you somewhere safe. I couldn't refuse her, I barely knew what was happening. I knew of a small girls orphanage in my home village. One of my best friends when I was growing up lived there. I Apparated there and knocked on the door. I gave the matron, Daisy Hinshaw, I think it was, your name and birthday and left."

Lyra remembered the face of sensible Mrs. Hinshaw and, despite herself, had a brief pang for her old, simple life. She was silent for a moment, processing what she had just been told. Was that all? Would she even learn her mother's name?

"When I first dropped you off, I demanded that the matron send me photographs of you every year. As you grew older, I noticed the resemblance you began to share with one of the former pupils who was also of the surname 'Black'. Your mother was enamored with him all throughout her years at Hogwarts. I drew a conclusion."

Lyra crossed her fingers, feeling the hot tears stream down her face. Don't say it, she willed. She didn't even care if it was true. It just couldn't be confirmed.

"That-that pupil, his name was Black. Sirius Black." McGonagall stated, looking at the ground.

Emotions rushed through Lyra. She felt anger build up in her, at her mother, at McGonagall, and at…him. She felt a distinct sadness as she imagined herself as a baby, crying for her mother but only having the arms of the matron. She thought of her father. She imagined the curse rippling through the streets, she imagined the bloodshed, the screams of horror. She imagined where he was right now. She could see his mauled face, staring at her from the poster.

They had all been right… they had all been right to hate her. She was not and had never been fit to be part of their world. She was true and pure evil, with no possibility of redemption. She was the daughter of a murderer, a traitor. Her father killed people without a thought. With the flick of the wand, he took life. He could and would do the same to her, just as she knew she could and would do to somebody. The wickedness, it ran through her veins. She knew in that instant that despite her principles, despite all the reassurances, that she was capable of it, too.

"Excuse me…" she said quietly, but the words resounded through the office. She stood up, as did McGonagall. The woman reached for her wrists, but Lyra pulled them out of reach.

"Ly- Miss Black, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, but you must know this information. For your own safety. He is on the run and will come after you if he ever finds out….I forbid you from leaving this office until I dismiss you."

Lyra glared at the woman. "I'll leave when I want to," she hissed, her emotions overpowering her sense. "And I would rather die than stay in this room any longer."

With that, she pushed the door open. All of the students were at dinner, so the corridors were empty. Lyra pushed her feet into the floor and ran, not knowing where she was going. She couldn't be anywhere. She wanted to go back to the summer. She would rather be an orphan than Sirius Black's daughter.

She ran from corridor to corridor. She kicked the walls and swatted at the tapestries. She came crashing down against a wall in an abandoned classroom. She curled up in a ball, sobbing. She closed her eyes and willed herself out of the castle, out of that world. It had brought her nothing but pain. Stars suddenly danced before her eyes.

Lyra was trapped in a cold, empty room. She could see nothing beyond the blackness. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She had to resign herself to the imminent doom she knew was coming.

"Please, please, just take her!" a call sounded. Lyra tried to respond, but she couldn't.

The voice continued, "I don't care! Nobody can know!" Lyra began shaking. The voice can torturing her, slowly killing her.

"I have no one," the voice went on still. It was feminine, Lyra could glean.

It changed tone, from desperation to lightness. There was a tone of hollow innocence as it said, "Promise me."

The walls began to enclose. Lyra could feel the air supply rapidly diminishing. She tried to break free, but she was unable to. From what the voice had told her, she and something else were trapped in the room and she needed to save the thing. She had no idea what it was until the screech of an infant sounded.

Her eyes snapped open. Lyra was still on the ground. She was breathing heavily, still sobbing. She pressed herself into the corner of the wall and shut her eyes, feeling herself drift away.

 **I've seriously had this chapter done since the day we posted the first chapter, which was the second day of Lyra's existence. However, somebody (*cough* Wilderness Girl *cough*), didn't finish chapter six until now, so I couldn't post it. Chapter 8 was actually finished on the first day, so it will be up with this one. So, short chapter. Yeah. That's all I really want to say right now. But no, I'll continue. Lyra knows. It is a tad dramatic, but if you found out your father was a mass murderer, you would react the same way. If you couldn't tell, I used what Mary said in the prologue during the dream/hallucination. I gave some hints about Lyra's faults in this. She was very arrogant when interacting with Ginny and Hermione and she just completely lost her temper with McGonagall(stubborn, temperamental, impulsive, proud….) This was supposed to be WildernessGirl's chapter, but I was really bored, so I did this one. I'll give a brief outline of who wrote the chapters. Review, follow, fav if you liked. PM or review with questions. Flames will not be responded to.**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **Who's doing what chapter**

 **Prologue- Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 1- Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 2- Mostly Cherry Mall with some help from WildernessGirl**

 **Chapter 3- Wilderness Girl**

 **Chapter 4- Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 5- Mostly WildernessGirl with some help from Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 6- WildernessGirl**

 **Chapter 7- Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 8- Cherry Mall**

 **Chapter 9- WildernessGirl**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **I wouldn't be on this website if I owned Harry Potter. All rights go to Jo.**

Remus Lupin wrung his hands as he stood in the dark at the corner of the block. He had spent many nights there ever since he came to Hogwarts again. He had been alone for so many years that he had come to enjoy his independence. He reflected often on how he had gotten to that point. Lily Evans and James Potter were dead, as was Peter, and Sirius was the reason why. If he had been told that fifteen years ago, he would have laughed. His Hogwarts years were still vivid in his mind, but they seemed like they were a world away.

It had been painful returning. He walked the corridors he had once walked with them. He taught a class that years ago, he had often looked forward to. He had to look at the familiar faces of Harry and Lyra every day and not say anything. He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't go looking for Harry. Dumbledore had explained to him the delicacies of the situation. Remus would rather have died than put Harry in danger. It was surprising that despite his condition and his promise, Dumbledore still allowed him to teach at Hogwarts. What he hadn't known was… well, it was Lyra's entire existence.

He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't go looking for Harry. Dumbledore had explained to him the delicacies of the situation. Remus would rather have died than put Harry in danger. It was surprising that despite his condition and his promise, Dumbledore still allowed him to teach at Hogwarts. What he hadn't known was… well, it was Lyra's entire existence. He first caught sight of her in the dark on the train. He could barely make out her features and she hadn't spoken a word, but there was something different about her. Remus could tell. But then the lights turned back on and he realized that the young girl that lay before him had the same features as two of his old friends. When she said her surname was Black, Remus was certain of who she was. When the shock had worn off, he calculated her age. Sirius couldn't have known about her. She was too young. Remus wasn't about to tell him, either. He wouldn't have if he could. When he met Lyra Black, all the years of anger that he had kept inside began to amalgamate into a fierce ball of… He couldn't even tell. However, he was no longer so mad with Sirius Black, he was mad with Mary Macdonald. Lyra had to be her daughter. They looked too similar to not be related. They had the same oval face and brow. Mary had always been infatuated with Sirius, despite being quite brilliant and sensible. He was always her weakness. While Remus wasn't quite sure of her location, he had an inkling she was there. He had come many times to confront her, but hadn't gathered up the courage. But this was the night. Remus was sure. Minerva had told him she was going to tell Lyra that very night. Slowly, Remus made his way down the street. He ducked to keep himself out of sight. Upper Flagley was heavily populated with witches and wizards. He didn't want to be recognized. At last, he came to a small cottage. There was a small front yard with dry grass, but it looked well kept. It was a charming place, Remus admitted. Perfectly suited to Mary's tastes. He slowly made his way up the stone walkway. He took a deep breath, his hands shaking. He hadn't seen Mary MacDonald in over a decade. He doubted she would be pleased to see him.

It had been painful returning. He walked the corridors he had once walked with them. He taught a class that years ago, he had often looked forward to. He had to look at the familiar faces of Harry and Lyra every day and not say anything. He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't go looking for Harry. Dumbledore had explained to him the delicacies of the situation. Remus would rather have died than put Harry in danger. It was surprising that despite his condition and his promise, Dumbledore still allowed him to teach at Hogwarts. What he hadn't known was… well, it was Lyra's entire existence. He first caught sight of her in the dark on the train. He could barely make out her features and she hadn't spoken a word, but there was something different about her. Remus could tell. But then the lights turned back on and he realized that the young girl that lay before him had the same features as two of his old friends. When she said her surname was Black, Remus was certain of who she was. When the shock had worn off, he calculated her age. Sirius couldn't have known about her. She was too young. Remus wasn't about to tell him, either. He wouldn't have if he could. When he met Lyra Black, all the years of anger that he had kept inside began to amalgamate into a fierce ball of… He couldn't even tell. However, he was no longer so mad with Sirius Black, he was mad with Mary Macdonald. Lyra had to be her daughter. They looked too similar to not be related. They had the same oval face and brow. Mary had always been infatuated with Sirius, despite being quite brilliant and sensible. He was always her weakness. While Remus wasn't quite sure of her location, he had an inkling she was there. He had come many times to confront her, but hadn't gathered up the courage. But this was the night. Remus was sure. Minerva had told him she was going to tell Lyra that very night.

Slowly, Remus made his way down the street. He ducked to keep himself out of sight. Upper Flagley was heavily populated with witches and wizards. He didn't want to be recognized. At last, he came to a small cottage. There was a small front yard with dry grass, but it looked well kept. It was a charming place, Remus admitted. Perfectly suited to Mary's tastes. He slowly made his way up the stone walkway. He took a deep breath, his hands shaking. He hadn't seen Mary MacDonald in over a decade. He doubted she would be pleased to see him. He thought of the hopeful faces of Harry and Lyra, and feeling the anger surge through him, knocked.

He heard a squeak of surprise from behind the door. He clenched his fists. He waited for a few moments, wondering if she was even going to answer. But finally, the door creaked open.

In front of him was the familiar face of Mary Macdonald. Her hair was still the same chestnut color and he still towered over her. Her eyes were wide with shock, but still had the same fierce, clever light in them. Remus, in that moment, forgot everything he had planned to say. It had been so long since he had seen any of his old friends.

"Mary," he said at last, after the shock wore off, "There's a lot you need to tell me." He shoved himself through the door, his face white.

Mary backed away. "Remus," she said slowly, the shock evident on her face. She looked down and shuffled for a moment. "W-would you like some tea? P-please, sit down! I'll go get something!" The witch tried to scurry out of the room, but Remus held onto her wrist, pulling her back. "Why are you here, Remus?" Mary said slowly, crossing her arms.

Remus tried to glare at her, but found himself unable to. "I think you know." He sat down in a nearby armchair. Mary reluctantly sat in the adjacent one. There was a good amount of silence before Remus finally spoke.

"Why didn't you tell him? Why not any of us?" His voice rose with anger.

Mary didn't flinch, though. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Remus. I think you should go."

"Cut it, Mary. You were one of the brightest witches of our generation." Mary glared at him. She was always temperamental, stubborn. "I didn't really have a chance, did I? When I found out, he had already been shipped off to Azkaban. Lily and James were dead, and you were nowhere to be found. What was I supposed to do?"

Remorse began to fill Remus, though he was determined not to show it. He gulped before he spoke again. "She looks like you, you know? And Sirius, too." Mary scowled.

"Who would've thought? My child looks like me." She huffed, but didn't move.

"She's bright, and sweet. She was sorted into Gryffindor," he continued. Mary stood up, her voice rising. "Do you think I don't think about it, Remus? Do you think that some days, I don't deeply regret it? Do you ever think, Remus? I HAD to do it! I was alone! He wouldn't have cared! I was ALONE!" Tears began to stream down her face. Mary furiously tried to wipe them away, but she couldn't stop them from flowing. She slowly lowered herself back onto the chair, still crying.

"When did it happen?" Remus asked quietly. Mary took a moment to process it, but then blushed. "Remus Lupin! We both know that- that you know!" she hissed, but began to chuckle. However, the tone of the room turned somber again after the laughter died down.

 _"It's such a pity to see you all go so soon!" Lily Potter smiled at her friends as they stood in the foyer. Little Harry had been put to bed already and while the group of friends had much to talk about, they all recognized it was time to go._ _"Thank you, Lily. This was lovely." Mary pulled her old friend into a hug. She pushed her dark hair behind her ear and glanced briefly at Sirius. She hadn't expected him to be there, though it was a pleasant surprise. She had practically been blushing the whole time. She had dismissed her feelings for Sirius as just a schoolgirl crush, but still, all these years later, she was panicked about interacting with him, even being in the same room as him. She looked at her feet._

 _Remus emerged from the shadows. He kissed Lily's cheek and hugged James goodbye. He told them to tell Harry he said goodbye and left promptly, to Mary's despair. She and Remus were always friends, and his presence had been the only thing stopping her from making an utter fool out of herself._ _"I'll see you next week, Prongs," Sirius slapped his mate on the back. Merlin, he was handsome. Mary flushed when she realized she had been staring. She just hadn't seen him in so long._

 _"Don't murder him by then, Lils," Mary warned jokingly. They all began to chuckle._ _"Oh, I'd advise you to do the opposite," Sirius quipped. Mary giggled, as if she was fifteen. She began to wring her hands. She was an intelligent woman. She had a job she loved in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She was a member of the Order. She shouldn't be humiliating herself like this. Crushes at her age were extremely idiotic and she couldn't believe after all that time, she still hadn't gotten over him._

 _"I must be going then. Thank you James, Lily. Tell Harry Aunt Mary says hello!" She quickly embraced her friends again before moving for the door._

 _"I'll walk you out," Sirius grabbed her arm. Mary didn't noticed James' raised eyebrow or Lily's eye roll. She was determined to not let herself succumb to his cheap charms._ _"What's been new with you, Black?" she inquired as they slowly walked through the yard._

 _"Nothing much. I've been fulfilling my duties as godfather. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that." His chest puffed out in pride. Mary laughed._ _"But what about you? Ministry job, I hear."_

 _"Yes, it's all very exciting." Mary said quietly. They stopped for a moment as they walked by a fir tree. Sirius quickly glanced back at the Potter's cottage. They were out of sight._ _"_

 _I'm sure. You have your paperwork and your awful boss and your obnoxious co-workers…" Sirius said sarcastically. Mary glared at him._

 _"It's actually quite interesting. I've been working on a case in which-"_ _Sirius placed a finger to her lips._

 _"_ _Do you ever shut up, Macdonald?" With that, he kissed her. At first, Mary didn't move, petrified, but she felt her guard coming down. She had boyfriends, of course, but she had never kissed Sirius Black before, despite her many fantasies. She didn't even care about the logic or prudence, but she let herself melt in his arms._

 _"My flat or yours?" she whispered for only him to hear._

 _Mary paced up and down the hall of the small flat, stick in hand. She had been holed up in there since Halloween. Lily and James were dead, their son missing, and Sirius blamed for it. She had said she had a rather contagious bug. That was partially true. She had been vomiting every morning for the past week now. The illness was just an excuse to hide from the world._

 _She had a dream the previous night. It wasn't a nightmare, but it was all too vivid. She was in some hospital wings, sweating and grungy. Her hair was rather dishevelled and she looked exhausted. But most shocking, in her arms was a infant._ _When she sat up in her bed, the revelation struck her. She had been so occupied with Lily and James' death to pay attention to her own health. She was late and nauseous. She weighed herself just to check, and despite eating barely anything, had gained a few pounds._

 _Because the only Wizarding pregnancy test was a long procedure at St. Mungo's, she ran to the nearest pharmacy and grabbed a Muggle pregnancy test. She was a Muggleborn and had the advantage in that scenario because of it. She had urinated on it and now waited the three minutes till she knew if her life would change forever._

 _She got a glimpse at the clock and looked down at the strip. She couldn't be pregnant. She was all alone and the only possible father was…_ _She stared at the strip, her eyes voraciously searching for the lines. Her eyes widened as she finally caught sight of them._ _"Bloody hell," She muttered, placing a hand over her stomach._

Remus looked down as guilt begins to fill him. There was a lump in his throat as he asked, "Do you- do you ever regret it?"

Mary was silent for a moment, but she responded nonetheless. "Sometimes. Around Christmas, usually. But other than that, not at all. I couldn't keep her safe. Harry had gone missing and her father was- is a murderer. How was she supposed to live a normal life? I was so young. And don't say Lily was younger. She was married and _she_ ended up dead."

Remus couldn't help the words that flowed out next. "She knows. Lyra. She knows." Mary's eyes widened with shock. Her chest began to heave in panic. She placed her hands on Remus' chest and shoved him.

"How did you let this happen, Remus? How?" Her voice rose, becoming quite shrill. "Everything I sacrificed…" She muttered to herself.

"He's going to kill her! Just like he killed your best friend, my best friend, just like he killed all the others! How could you?" Mary collapsed to the floor. A thought crossed her mind and she looked up at Remus, despair plastered on her face.

"You can't tell him." she said bluntly, wiping her tears away. Remus was taken aback. "How could I possibly, Mary? I wouldn't, even if I could! Who do you think I am?"

"I know you, Remus. I know you better than anyone else alive. They always brought you down with you. Swear it." Mary stared at him, a determined look in her eyes. Remus had missed that light. "Make me an Unbreakable Vow."

"Mary, I can't…We don't have a bonder." Remus trailed off, though he knew that Mary knew a different way. Mary glared at him. "Remus..." She grasped his wrist and pulled herself up, not letting go when she was on her feet. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at their conjoined wrists. Remus inhaled eeply, trying to calm himself. He owed it to Mary, though.

"Remus Lupin, do you swear to never put my child's life at risk, never giving out any information and aiding those who may hurt her? Do you swear to watch over her until it is impossible? Do you swear to ensure no harm ever comes to her?"

"I do," he said, staring at the brilliant flames that encircled their hands. There was a shooting pain for a moment, but the flames soon disappeared.

Without warning, Mary flung herself into his arms. "Thank you, Remus," she whispered in his ear. Remus smiled. "I'll be back," he murmured. She nodded as he broke away. He grasped his wand and soon enough, a loud crack sounded, leaving Mary Macdonald alone once again.

 **So… this was my favourite chapter so far. Mary Macdonald is actually alive. I felt so conflicted while writing this. I wanted to portray adoption and giving up your child so they can have their best chance in a progressive way, but Wilderness Girl wanted her to express some remorse because they may or may not reconnect in the future. However, for now, it's safe to say that Lyra won't meet her mother for a while. We kind of dropped of a bombshell on you guys last time around, so we wanted to keep the suspense going but not giving you Lyra's reaction immediately. Wilderness Girl is in charge of chapter nine, so it won't be up for a while. She has ten, too. Eleven is already finished, twelve is almost there, and thirteen is finished. The Remus-Lyra relationship will take light in a few chapters. We're trying to speed things along to later in the year when Lyra meets Sirius and all. I acknowledge that some of my chapters, in comparison to Wilderness Girl's, are not top-notch. Chapters eleven, twelve, and thirteen, are much better(which are mine. I stole them). I promise. Thanks guys. Also, sorry about the whole unbreakable vow with two people thing. I had to move the story along. Still, it was a crappy move. Wilderness Girl also has something to say.** **~Cherry Mall**

 **First of all, Cherry Mall did** ** _not_** **steal chapter 13. I'm also doing part of it, no matter what she says. Second, don't you just love this? Cherry Mall did a great job portraying Mary's desperation. Like Cherry Mall said, Mary wanted to give Lyra her best chance, but was really conflicted about it, which she gets to show because of Remus's accusation. Thirdly and lastly, I'm in the middle of chapter nine, so I should be done by next week. Thanks so much for reading and please, please review! Review and PM with questions. Fav and follow if you want more. Flames will not be tolerated. Thank you!**

 **~Wilderness Girl**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"That's Black, isn't it?"

"Why is she there?"

"Is she asleep?"

"Of course she's asleep, you-"

"Oi!" Lyra's eyes fluttered open. She blinked in surprise, seeing strange three faces leaning over her. They scattered, seeing her awake, and Lyra sat up. She was in the Gryffindor common room.

"What?" Lyra muttered under her breath. The last thing she remembered was…falling asleep in an abandoned corridor. How had she gotten there? Then she reeled back as the events of the previous night came rushing back to her.

"No. No!" Lyra wrapped her arms around her torso, needing something, anything to hold onto. She looked around the common room. It was mostly empty, and after deducing that, she buried her face in her hands, expecting tears to come. They didn't. Last night she had been devastated, now she just felt…hollow, _empty_.

She stood up, her hair falling forward to curtain her face. Making her way to her dormitory, she ducked inside.

All the bed hangings were drawn closed, and Lyra heard snores coming from the bed next to hers. She breathed a sigh of relief. Hurrying to her trunk, she changed out of the uniform she slept in into Muggle jeans and a grey jumper. She looked out the window: still dark. Deciding to go back to bed, Lyra opened her hangings and slipped under her covers, pulling the hangings closed behind her. She curled up and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to fall into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Two hours later, all of her roommates had left for breakfast, and Lyra still hadn't managed to fall asleep. Her mind was too busy, repeating McGonagall's words over and over again, and she was too…confused over the emotions she was feeling. She sighed, and sat up, pushing her blankets off. Clambering out of her bed, she began to pace, walking along the red carpet that lay on the stone floor.

"Aughh!" Lyra yelled. She was angry, she realized. She needed to calm down, somehow. Rounding on the wall, she slammed her shoulder against it and slid to the floor.

 _Why? Why?!_ she screamed in her mind. _After all my dreams of the perfect family, I get a murderer for a father!_

"I don't deserve this!" she screamed.

"Deserve what?" Ginny was standing in the doorway, and Lyra realized she had spoken aloud.

"Nothing."

 _It definitely isn't_ nothing _, that's for sure_ , she thought.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, moving to sit next to Lyra, her concern evident. Lyra groaned inwardly. She wanted, _needed_ , to tell someone, but she couldn't. Not yet. Trying her hardest to smile, Lyra nodded. Ginny seemed reassured, and Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. Standing up, she offered Ginny a hand and the other girl joined her.

"Why'd you come up here?" Lyra asked as they left the room.

"To check on you. You missed breakfast, you weren't in the library, and Romilda said she hadn't seen you at all last night." Lyra scowled. _Stupid Romilda,_ she thought _._ "Plus, Hermione said you guys were going to study together and then you didn't show up." Cursing inwardly, Lyra turned the corner to the library.

"Oh, then I better go do that. Bye!" She waved and continued down the corridor, noticing Ginny's hurt look but ignoring it. She had to get away from the redhead, who would surely keep questioning her.

Walking into the library, she found Hermione sitting at one of the tables near the back with books scattered across it.

"Lyra, there you are!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Here I am." She sat down and pulled one of Hermione's books toward her. "Arithmancy?"

"Yes, it's fascinating. Maybe you can take it when you're in third year."

"Yes, maybe. It sounds wonderful," Lyra responded, if not a bit sarcastically. She saw Hermione glance at her strangely, and knew she was being difficult, but she couldn't help it. She was mad, and her anger was going to come out in one way or another.

"Alright then, why don't we begin with Charms? You guys are learning _Wingardium Leviosa_ , aren't you?" Lyra nodded. "So, swish and flick. Get out your wand and we'll practice."

An hour and thirteen unnecessary snide comments from Lyra later, she had managed to levitate a book for 15 seconds, causing Hermione to glow with pride and Lyra to say, "Well, that's very anti-climactic, isn't it?" (Fourteen unnecessary snide comments). Hermione's smile faded.

"Are you alright, Lyra?"

"Yes, I'm fine! Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Lyra yelled. Madam Pince poked her head around the corner, giving them a stern look.

"Well, you've been nothing but rude to me, and I've just been trying to help you with school!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's all!"

"I didn't even need help in the first place! Besides, if you really wanted to help me, you would leave me alone!" Lyra stood up, and shoved her chair into the table. "Goodbye, Hermione!" She stormed from the library and walked mindlessly for quite a while, before finding herself in a corridor. Spotting a statue of a hunchbacked warlock, she squeezed behind it and curled up, fuming. Why couldn't people just leave her alone?

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up. A tall, redheaded boy was standing above her with his wand out.

"Do you mind?" she snapped. He pocketed his wand.

"Well, you're the one in the middle of the corridor," the boy responded. He grinned as he sat down beside her. "You're Lyra Black, right?"

"Of course you know who I am," she scoffed. "And you are?"

"Well, it's only fair," he responded. "George Weasley." He offered his hand and she shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you," she said sarcastically. He laughed.

"Cheeky, aren't you?"

"Any relation to Ron and Ginny?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

"Ron's my brother, unfortunately. Ginny's a great sister though." Lyra nodded. "So, are you sneaking out?" George remarked after a moment.

"What?" Lyra asked, confused. George shook his head.

"Nevermind. So, why would an ickle-firstie be here?"

"Pondering the tragedy of my life, I suppose."

"Ah, an existential crisis. And what events lead up to this? Maybe, I don't know, falling asleep in a corridor?" Lyra looked up sharply.

"How do you know about that?"

"How do you think you got back to the common room?" He smirked. "I managed to haul you back to my brother, Fred, and we got you all nice and cozy on one of those couches."

"Yeah, real cozy."

"A 'thank you' would suffice." Lyra blushed.

"Sorry. Thank you."

"There you go. No problem. And don't worry about…that. Surnames are fluid." The Weasley boy stood up to leave, but turned back. "Here, have some sweets. Fred and I have more than enough." Lyra accepted the wrapped candies from his outstretched hand and watched as he left the corridor. She sighed, leaning her head against the wall and unwrapping one of the candies. Lemon. It would have been better if it was chocolate. She loved chocolate.

 _What are you going to do about Hermione and Ginny?_ the voice in the back of her head asked.

 _Ignore them_ , she thought. _I can't deal with anyone right now. I'll just ignore them._

 _That's a great idea_ , the voice exclaimed, sounding exactly like Mrs. Hinshaw when she was scolding Lyra for something or other. Lyra rolled her eyes and stood up. She would go to the library, hope that Hermione wouldn't be there, and work on her homework there until lunch. Then she would attend lunch after Ginny and the trio of third years had eaten, and return to the library to read. Having decided on that, she stood up and hurried to her dorm to grab her bag, then on to the library.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent like that: Lyra trying her hardest to avoid her friends and anyone else. She had run into Luna a few times in the library, but the blonde had somehow sensed that Lyra needed her space and left her alone. When Monday arrived, Lyra skipped breakfast for the library and went straight to Transfiguration from there. She sat down at a desk in the back of the room and pulled her Transfiguration essay and textbook from her bag. Opening the textbook, she skimmed the pages, waiting for the rest of the class to file in. She continued reading even as McGonagall began class by collecting their essays, and only stopped when McGonagall cleared her throat-rather loudly.

"Miss Black, if you would be so kind?" Lyra rolled her eyes as McGonagall started a lecture on the proper way to transfigure a needle into a match. During the duration of the class, McGonagall asked several questions, looking towards Lyra to answer them, but Lyra just shrugged and said, "I don't know. Why don't you ask someone else?"

By the end of class, McGonagall was obviously fed up with Lyra's antics and asked to see her when the rest of the first years had left the classroom.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked, throwing her bag onto the desk in front of McGonagall's.

"Miss Black, I understand that you've had a shock, but you are acting utterly ridiculous. Now-"

"Had a shock? Well, I've discovered my father is a murderer and might want to kill me, but I didn't even realize I'm acting _utterly ridiculous_. I'll stop immediately," Lyra snapped sarcastically. McGonagall's face seemed to soften. She tried a different approach, asking, "Would you like me to tell you about your mother?"

"What, and find out that she steals precious jewels for a living? I'd rather not." McGonagall stared at Lyra.

"Miss Black-"

"Professor, I have a Charms class to attend. See you tomorrow." With that, Lyra picked up her bag and walked from the classroom.

"Lyra!" someone called as Lyra walked down the hallway. "Lyr, please!" Lyra ignored them. "Lyr, I need to talk to you!" Lyra spun around.

"Sorry, Ginny, but I need to get to class," the black haired girl said sharply. Ginny stared.

"Why, Lyra? Why have you been avoiding me, avoiding _everybody_? Talk to me! I'm your friend!" Lyra turned so Ginny couldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I have to go, Ginny. Bye."

She hurried to class, and luckily, the day seemed to fly by. When classes were over, she ran, heading to the statue she had hidden behind before. She crumpled to the floor, trying valiantly to avoid sobbing. Why was Ginny so... _nice_? She needed to talk to her friend, apologize, and get on with her life. She needed to stop acting like a prat.

"Are you following me? You're like Ginny. When she was younger, she followed me all the time." Lyra looked up. George was standing over her. She stood up, rubbing her cheeks.

"Why do you care?" she replied, her voice shakier than she expected.

"Are you okay, Lyra? I've found you here twice in the past three days and you've been...sad? Angry? I really don't understand the feelings of eleven year old girls. Anyway, you've been upset, we'll go with that, both times."

"I've been a prat," she blurted out, surprised by her openness. "To Ginny, and to Hermione, and to Luna, although I haven't seen her much lately."

"So apologize," George said simply. "I find that's the best thing to do when I'm being a prat, but I really never am. Normally that's Percy." Lyra gave a small smile.

"Yes, Ginny warned me about him."

"You and Ginny are very much alike," George commented, looking at Lyra.

"You can tell that already?"

"You act a lot like her, and I expect, if you guys are the friends you seem to be becoming, I'll be seeing a lot more of you, so I can always revise my opinion." George mock sighed. "But then of course I'll have two annoying younger sisters. Wonderful!" Lyra laughed. "Come on, I'll walk you back to the common room. Ginny's there."

"Thank you," Lyra said quietly. "I really do mean it." George nodded.

"Come on, now!" The two set off down the corridor, George chatting aimlessly, Lyra listening. When they arrived, Lyra immediately spotted Ginny and Hermione sitting by the fire, talking quietly. When they saw her, Ginny stood up, and Lyra walked over.

"I'm sorry I've been such a prat, there was a problem…back at the orphanage and it upset me, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you guys," she said quickly. Ginny seemed startled, but hugged Lyra fiercely.

"It's okay, Lyr." Hermione nodded in agreement, and hugged Lyra as well. Pulling away from them, Lyra's eyes found George. He nodded to her, smiling.

"Hey, Lyra, play Exploding Snap with us?" Hermione asked. Lyra was about to shake her head and say that she was tired, but remembered that she needed to spend time with them. She needed to make it up to them.

"Okay," she said instead.

 **A/N: So, that was Lyra's reaction. I LOVE writing sassy Lyra. As you can tell, when Lyra is upset in some way, her way to cope is to push away everyone around her. It brings out her worst qualities: pride, stubbornness, and argumentativeness (is that a word?) Anyway, she also meets George in this chapter, and as you hopefully can tell, they will eventually have a close friendship and he will be a brother figure to her, as well as a "mentor" with her mischievous antics. (Side note: does anyone know why George asked Lyra if she was sneaking out? If you do, comment, and if not, I'll tell you guys in the next chapter. Same for the Snape thing on chapter 6) I hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews and constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are not!**

 **~WildernessGirl**

 **How could you not love this chapter? WildernessGirl put a lot of effort into it and I think she captured Lyra's devastation, along with the simplicity of a sixth grade girl. I love the Lyra-George dynamic, so I'm so glad that was included. My favourite line: "What, and find out that she steals precious jewels for a living? I'd rather not." Good job, WildernessGirl! She has chapter 10 as well, and then 11 (which is mine) is already done, so that will go up with 10.**

 **~Cherry Mall**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Days seemed to fly by as Lyra settled in at Hogwarts. She enjoyed her classes immensely, doing her homework with great zeal. Throwing herself into her work and spending time with Luna and Ginny helped Lyra forget about her new revelation. She knew Luna had noticed something was wrong, but instead of questioning her, the blonde girl had just said, "You can tell me when you feel like you need to." Thankful for that, Lyra was able to continue with pretending she didn't know anything about her parentage.

She walked down to breakfast with Ginny one morning to find the Great Hall in an uproar.

"You'll never guess what's happened," Ron said excitedly. "Malfoy got mauled by a hippogriff!"

Ginny laughed. "How did that happen?"

"A Care for Magical Creatures class," Harry answered, causing Ginny to blush. "Malfoy was stupid and didn't listen to Hagrid, so Buckbeak attacked him."

"Git," Ron mumbled under his breath. Lyra knew that the upperclassmen loathed Draco Malfoy. They frequently complained about him. She had seen him in the corridors, bullying people who weren't Slytherin. He talked quite loudly, and only about himself.

"He's been acting like he's dying!" Harry scowled. Ron smirked, taking a bite of porridge.

"You know, he's related to Black?" Ron said between bites. Lyra felt herself pale. She immediately began to think up excuses to leave.

"And you know that how?" Ginny asked, reaching for Lyra's hand under the table. Lyra shot her a grateful look.

"Dad told me. Malfoy's mum is a Black. She was Sirius Black's cousin," Ron informed the group. Lyra saw him look at her pointedly. Hermione saw as well, and slapped him. "Oi!"

"You deserved it, Ron. Now, come on, we have to get to Potions." They stood up to leave, and Lyra relaxed somewhat. Ginny squeezed her hand and let go.

"You know, I should probably get to class too," Lyra said, grabbing her bag.

"Okay, see you at lunch," Ginny responded lightly. Lyra hurried from the Hall, and slumped against the wall of the corridor. Why was Ron such a prat?

She pushed herself up and started to make her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, but a voice stopped her.

"Ah, we finally meet, _Black_ ," Draco Malfoy spat. Lyra spun around, coming face to face with a slim, blonde haired boy with a sneer contorting his features. He was flagged by two large, muscular boys that Lyra assumed to be the infamous Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's bodyguards.

"Oh, you've heard about me? Who are you?" Lyra asked, feigning ignorance. Malfoy's sneer faltered for a fraction of a second, and Lyra laughed inwardly. She knew he hadn't expected her, an ickle firstie, to fight back.

"You don't know who I am? You must be more stupid than I thought. Much like your father," Malfoy drawled. Lyra flinched unconsciously. "Then again, he was a Gryffindor, and you know them. Stupid fools, the lot." Lyra suddenly realized that they were alone in the corridor, and slowly began inching her way backward. Malfoy didn't seem to notice.

"How about Hermione?" Lyra retorted, still moving slightly away. "She's the best in your year, beating even _you_. And she's a Muggleborn." Malfoy scowled. Lyra sensed she had struck a nerve.

"What an evil thing to say," Malfoy commented, acting indifferent. Lyra's eyes widened slightly. "And yet, you aren't a Slytherin. Well, your father was like you, and he was as evil as can be. Practically killed his best friend!" His gaze focused on something behind her right shoulder. "I'd stay away from her, if I were you." With a wave to his cronies, the group of three left, and Lyra turned, shaking slightly, to see Ginny standing there, glaring at Malfoy's back.

"Ignore him, Lyr. He's a git."

"Oh, I know that." Lyra scoffed. "I can't believe-" She stopped, shocked at what she had been about to say. _That I'm related to him._ Then Ginny would've known.

"Believe what?" Ginny asked. Lyra's mind raced. She had to say something.

"Oh, I can't believe that I'm late for class!" she exclaimed. Ginny raised an eyebrow, but didn't confront her. Lyra mentally scolded herself.

 _Definitely not my best lie_ , she thought. "Well, gotta go!"

Ginny waved, and Lyra hurried down the corridor before the redhead could say anything else.

* * *

"Where is he?" someone was asking as Lyra walked into the classroom. She scanned it quickly, noticing that Lupin wasn't there ( _Most likely the 'he' in that sentence,_ she thought absently) and saw an empty seat next to a girl from her dorm, Prudence Macron. When Lyra sat down, she felt no animosity from the girl, and attempted to make conversation.

"Where's Professor Lupin?"

"We don't know. We all came in, and he wasn't here. It's a good thing, or you would've lost points." Lyra frowned, thinking Prudence was accusing her of losing points, then realized she was joking.

"Yeah." She smiled, and Prudence turned in her seat to talk to Polly and Romilda in the desk behind them. Lyra bit her lip, her smile gone and fighting a scowl. She turned back to the front of the classroom and pulled her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook out of her bag Before she got a chance to open it, Professor Lupin hurried into the classroom.

"Sorry I'm late, class, I was preparing for my lesson with the third years."

"That's the year Harry Potter's in!" a student in the back exclaimed excitedly. Lupin nodded, and Lyra noticed his face had paled.

"What's the lesson?" another student asked.

"Er, well, there's a boggart in the staffroom. I was going to teach the third years how to fight one." The class gasped collectively, Lyra excluded. She looked at Prudence, whose eyes were wide with fear.

"Can we try?" Lyra asked without thinking. Lupin glanced at her, a weird look on his face. It seemed like...pride? Lyra shook it off and looked around the classroom. Some of her peers were looking at her with fear, others were glaring at her, as if they had wanted to ask Lupin for a turn against the boggart. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Lupin, staring at him defiantly. "So can we?" Lupin blinked, and glanced at the rest of the class.

"Would you like to?" Most of the class nodded eagerly. "Alright then. Grab your wands and follow me." He walked out of the classroom. The students looked at each other, seeming to be in shock that he had actually said yes. Lyra ignored them and stood up, following Lupin. They seemed to snap out of their shock and quickly followed her. Lupin led them down the corridor and into the staffroom.

McGonagall was sitting inside with Madam Pomfrey, and when the class entered, the two women stood up. McGonagall stopped Lupin on her way out and had a quick conversation, at the end of which they both looked at Lyra. She had a guess as to what their conversation was about.

"Students, please gather around the wardrobe." Lupin gestured to a large wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room. As if on cue, it rattled back and forth. Prudence, standing behind Lyra, grabbed her arm tightly. Lyra winced. "Now, who can tell me what a boggart is?" Lyra raised her hand tentatively. She remembered reading about it over the summer, but didn't remember the specifics. Lupin asked one of the Ravenclaws to explain, and they seemed to quote the textbook directly.

"A boggart is a creature that shapeshifts to show person confronting it their worst fear worst fear." Lupin nodded.

"Correct. Since that is the case, we have an advantage over the boggart. Can anyone tell me what that is?" Lyra's hand shot up for she realized what she was doing. "Yes, Lyra?"

"We're a large group, so, er, the boggart won't know what to become." The wardrobe shook.

"Yes! Once I saw two people defeat a boggart using that logic. One was afraid of flesh-eating slugs, the other scared of a headless corpse. In its attempt to scare them, the boggart became half a slug. Not particularly scary." The class laughed. "So, the charm one uses to thwart a boggart is relatively easy, but you must focus. The way to defeat a boggart is through laughter. To accomplish this, you must make it into a thing that is amuses you.

"We will practice the charm first wandless, then attempt it on the boggart. Repeat after me… _riddikulus_!"

" _Riddikulus_!"

"Well done. Now, a volunteer, please?" The wardrobe wobbled again, and class hesitated. Lyra considered raising her hand, and saw Lupin's eyes flicker towards her, as if he expected her to. Then Romilda haughtily raised her's, and Lupin called her forward, leaving Lyra to file the moment away.

"Romilda, if you would tell us the thing that scares you most?" Romilda flushed.

"Well, that would be, probably wild dogs. They're terrifying." Lyra scoffed.

"Alright, when the dog emerges, I want you to imagine it as whatever is funniest to you and say the incantation. Then the boggart's attention should move to the next person. But first, please all think about what scares you most in the world and decide how to make it into something amusing."

Lyra blinked. What did scare her most in the world? _Dementors_ , she thought immediately, imagining the rotting hand, the icy mist, the black cloak. _How do I make that comical?_ She shivered, wrestling with the question. As she thought, she looked around the room.

Prudence had her eyes squeezed tight and was muttering under her breath. Some of the Ravenclaws seemed spooked, others confident. Lyra returned to her thoughts, but Lupin cleared his throat and gestured for them to make a line facing the wardrobe, Romilda in front.

"Okay, are you ready?" Romilda nodded, lifting her wand. Lupin pointed his wand at the door of the wardrobe and sparks shot from it, causing the door to burst open. A wild dog ran out, clawing at the floor. Romilda paled, backing away.

"R-ri- _riddikulus!_ " The dog barked. "R-r-r- _ridikkulus!_ " Romilda repeated. The dog advanced on her. " _Riddikulus!_ " she shouted. The dog snarled, then a large crack sounded and it suddenly became a small puppy, yapping and jumping around. The class giggled, and the boggart hesitated. Polly ran forward and there was another crack. The puppy became a rabid rat, foaming at the mouth. Polly screamed.

" _Riddikulus! Riddikulus!_ " The spell didn't work, and a Ravenclaw replaced her.

 _Crack!_ A skeleton. _Crack!_ A mummy, a scream, and a hasty switch between people. _Crack!_ A cockroach. Another scream. Suddenly it was Lyra's turn and she ran forward, ready for the dementor. _Crack!_

The class fell silent. A baby, wrapped in a blanket, lay on the floor, wailing. It had Lyra's silvery-grey eyes. Lyra stood there, petrified. She couldn't seem to do anything, hearing the cries of the child. It was _her_.

Lupin, who seemed shaken, ran in front of her and shot a spell at the baby ( _No_ , _boggart_ , Lyra thought in the back of her mind) and it was forced back into the wardrobe as the door slammed shut behind it. Lyra exhaled in relief.

"My apologies, class," Lupin said, his hand clenched in his robes. "I should've known you wouldn't have been prepared for such advanced magic. Come with me to get your bags and then you may leave." Lupin led them back to the classroom. This time, their walk was full of whispers and murmurs about the boggart-more specifically, Lyra's boggart. She ignored the chatter and walked at the back of the group, hugging herself. After she had retrieved her bag from Lupin's classroom, she made to leave, but Lupin stopped her.

"Are you alright, Lyra?" She scowled inwardly. _I wanted to stop getting special treatment!_ she thought.

"I'm fine, Professor," she lied, her tone slightly sharp from her anger. Lupin saw right through her lie.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly." She knew exactly what the boggart had represented: Her abandonment as a baby.

"Okay. If you need anything, you may come to me." Lyra nodded and thanked him, hurrying away to Transfiguration.

When she arrived, she saw McGonagall's worried face and knew the professor had overheard Lyra's peers gossiping.

Expecting the after-class meeting, she went right to McGonagall's desk and plopped her bag down after the rest of the students had filed out.

"Professor, I would very much like it if I could stop getting special treatment from you, Professor Lupin, and, frankly, all the professors," she said confidently (and very politely), having planned out what she wanted to say during the duration of the class."I understand that my father is Sirius Black, a mass murderer who is most likely trying to kill me." She winced involuntarily. "But just because I have a more in-depth and complex boggart then some of the other students does not warrant worrying about me. It even makes sense that I have an intense boggart! I have a different background than the other students and it has nothing, _nothing_ , to do with Sirius Black. So, please stop the special treatment." McGonagall seemed shocked, then slowly a smile spread across her face.

"I can stop, but I cannot say the same for Professor Lupin." Her face overtook a strange expression. "He has his reasons, and I trust he will tell you when he feels like it." Lyra nodded slowly, intaking the new information.

"Thank you, Professor." She exhaled, and grabbed her bag.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Black."

"Goodbye!" Lyra left the classroom, and headed to the library.

Halfway there, she stopped and instead took the path to the doors. She needed to think, and the best place to do that was outside.

* * *

Sitting down by the Lake, Lyra leaned against an oak tree and sighed, closing her eyes. She began to sort through all of the new information she had received over the past few weeks and make sense of it. So absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice Ginny running down from the castle until the older girl stopped in front of her, gasping for breath.

"Lyra…I...was…" she panted. "Looking...you." Lyra stood up.

"You were looking for me. Okay, why?" Ginny caught her breath and grabbed her friend's arm.

"Come on, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and _Fudge_ are in Dumbledore's office, and they sent me to get you. The _Minister_ , Lyra!" Lyra felt her heart drop. Ginny didn't notice as Lyra's face paled, and began to drag her towards the castle. Lyra's mind raced. Either Black had been caught (very unlikely), or they had bad news. _It could just be an update about your safety_ , the rational part of her brain counseled. Lyra hoped that was true.

The two girls entered the school and Ginny continued leading Lyra by the arm until they had a reached a gargoyle statue in an alcove.

"Oh, and then Dumbledore also said, "Candyfloss," Ginny informed Lyra. At her confused look, the redhead added, "He said you'd figure it out, but I'm supposed to go to History of Magic, so, good luck!"

After she left, Lyra stared at the statue, then it clicked. "Candyfloss," she told the gargoyle. The wall slid open to reveal a spiral staircase. Lyra hurried up them, and found herself outside a large door. She knocked, and heard McGonagall's voice say, "Come in!"

Entering, Lyra gasped. Fudge really was there.

"Ah, Miss Black!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Have a seat. I'm sure you recognize Cornelius?"

 **A/N: Hey guys! I'm at camp for three weeks! I'm not able to use a computer, so the only chapters you'll have are the ones I wrote before. Of course, they won't be posted for a while because SOMEBODY is a slow writer *cough* WildernessGirl *cough*. I didn't read this chapter all the way through, but I bet it's good. I hope you enjoyed! As always, review, follow, and fav! Message or review with questions! Also: big news. Lyra has been added to the OC page of ocappreciation, a cool Tumblr run by the authors of some of our favorite fanfics. Check her out(you can meet the older Lyra faceclaim!) as well as some of the other amazing characters on there. Thanks for reading!**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **So, apparently Cherry Mall loves pointing out that I'm a slow writer! Thanks a lot! I had a Shakespeare thing and had to learn A LOT of lines, so shut up, Cherry Mall. Wow, that sounded mean. I'm just joking, by the way! Anyway, enough about that. Thank you guys so much for not hating on me for getting Chapter 10 up late. This chapter was super fun to write, mostly because I love having nuances to Remus and Sirius's friendship (and there's a lot in this chapter). You guys get them, we get them, but Lyra doesn't and it's so fun! Also, thank you so much to all of our reviewers! You guys say the kindest things. (Hint, hint. Review please! We love reading them!) So, thanks for reading, and Chapter 11 will be up tomorrow!**

 **~WildernessGirl**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Lyra slowly took a seat, still in shock. Of course she recognized Fudge. She spent most mornings pouring over the _Prophet._ Fudge seemed like a good Minister. Recently, he negotiated some treaty with Portugal about dragons that many Ministry officials have been in favor of. Why would the man who spent his time negotiating with some of the most powerful wizards on Earth want to meet with her?

"Minister," she said slowly, her grey eyes as wide as saucers. Fudge gave a small, cordial smile and extended his hand. Lyra shook it. Fudge sat down in the chair next to Professor Dumbledore. Lyra finally looked at the old wizard. He seemed much stronger, much more powerful than Fudge. He, too, smiled at her, though Lyra could see it was genuine.

McGonagall was there, too. Her face was white. She was standing. Her lips were pursed and she nodded to Lyra.

"Thank you, Miss Black, for agreeing to meet with me. I'm sure this is hard for you. I would like to apologize for not following up with you sooner after the… I suppose disclosure is the proper word?" Dumbledore said kindly. Lyra nodded, still gobsmacked.

"As I'm sure you could glean, we have taken extra security measures since Black's escape. Following the events of last night, we would like to talk to you about your safety," Dumbledore continued slowly. Lyra knew this, of course. She had put two and two together.

"For a number of reasons, there are more precautions around Gryffindor tower. Passwords will be kept with the utmost secrecy. The Dementors _do_ protect the castle." Dumbledore looked rather pointedly at the Minister. Lyra stifled a laugh, despite everything. She could have sworn she heard McGonagall _growl_ at Fudge.

"Is there any other precautions I should take?" Lyra managed to ask without chuckling. Dumbledore pondered for a moment.

"I'm sure that you've already taken this step, but keeping this revelation secret would be in your best interest. There are some others, but as a professor and the head of this school, I would like to assure you, you are no different than any other student. No one here shall ever call into question your very personhood or existence."

Lyra immediately felt grateful to the old man. It was almost as if he had read her mind. She was grateful that he was taking the time to comfort her, an ickle firstie, when he obviously had much more important affairs on hand.

"However, there are some special circumstances," Fudge finally spoke up. Lyra nearly leaped out of her seat. The Minister was looking was rather red and was breathing heavily. Lyra tried to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"I proposed to Professor Dumbledore that you meet with a professor weekly to discuss all precautions that must be taken. Of course, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore are entirely at your dispos-"

"Professor Lupin." Lyra interjected, feeling rather annoyed with the Minister. "I'd like to meet with Professor Lupin." Lyra looked at Professor McGonagall, who had paled. Suddenly, the young Gryffindor girl felt a pang of remorse. She would have loved to have biscuits and tea with McGonagall every week and she hadn't wanted to offend her.

"Of course. Moving on, where do you live, Miss Black?" Fudge asked slowly. Lyra was getting rather irritated. He was quite patronizing and Lyra hated nothing more than being patronized.

"The dungeon" she muttered, but finally answered him. "Hinshaw's Home for Girls."

Fudge looked puzzled. He looked to the professors and nudged at Lyra.

"A Muggle orphanage. Caithness, Scotland." McGonagall answered for the young witch. Fudge nodded and continued.

"Ah. I'll have Aurors survey it. Until Black is caught, whenever you are there, there will be Aurors there to protect you."

An image of a tall man in black following Lyra around popped into her mind. McGonagall appeared to notice the young girl's distress.

"Discretely, of course," the professor added quietly.

"Well, I'll be off. I wish you my best, Miss Black. Professors, I'll be in touch," Fudge said.

"Thank you, Minister," Lyra said, a touch annoyed with the whole conversation. Fudge appeared to tip his hat before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing in a flurry.

Lyra was sure she was about to be dismissed until Dumbledore spoke again.

"Miss Black, could I please have a moment?"

"Of course, professor."

McGonagall stood for a moment before realizing what was to be expected of her.

"I'll see you later this evening, Miss Black. Don't be late,"the unsmiling Transfiguration professor said before exiting. Lyra and Dumbledore were alone.

"I have a rather odd question for you, Miss Black." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Is there any male you are… close with? Either here at Hogwarts or back in Caithness?"

Lyra was confused for a moment before realizing what Dumbledore was asking. Her face flushed and she began to sweat.

"Er, I don't think so, professor."

"I apologize for any embarrassment, Miss Black. The reason I ask this is that right before Black made his escape, a few guards at Azkaban heard him talking. He was saying, 'He's at Hogwarts!'"

Lyra's heart nearly skipped a beat as the memory came rushing over her.

"Harry," she mumbled, but the old man still heard her.

"Mr. Potter? You are a precocious young witch. Much like your mother. That is my suspicion as well." Dumbledore said quite merrily, despite the grave topic.

"Well, he's Harry Potter. And he mentioned something about… _him_ a few days ago." Lyra reasoned. Dumbledore nodded.

"Interesting. If there is nothing else on your mind, I would suggest that you leave and try to not to miss curfew. Of course, if you feel you ever need to speak with me, my door is always open. Just ask Professor McGonagall for the password. You are a bright young woman, like your mother, but I sense you may be impulsive, too. For your sake, I implore: please do not go looking for Sirius Black. You are blood and nothing more." Dumbledore took a deep breath, "Please bother me about the slightest of things. But if you have nothing else on your mind, good night, Miss Black. I will ask Professor Lupin if he would be willing to meet with you."

"Thank you, professor." Lyra beamed at the man with gratitude. Dumbledore returned the smile. Lyra exited the office and descended into the darkness. Dumbledore's words continued to ring in her head.

" _He's at Hogwarts_!" Lyra recalled the dream. Surprisingly, she could remember it quite vividly, though it seemed like it was a world away. She remembered the fur on the ground and the coldness. More than anything, she remembered the unhappiness of it all.

When McGonagall first mentioned Hogwarts to her, she had passed it off as a mere phonetic coincidence. But now, the evidence kept piling up. It was a series of mind-boggling synchronicities.

The thing is that Lyra Black would have loved to continue living her life as if nothing was wrong. She had friends, an adorable owl, did well in classes, and most importantly, was happy. She had not wanted any of it. She would have liked to forget about it all if everybody at Hogwarts would allow her to. Despite all her flaws, however, Lyra always knew when she was lying to herself. She tried to tell herself that it was only a game of chance, but she knew in her heart that there was something more to it. And she was going to figure it out.

The library was Lyra's favourite part of the castle. She liked the quiet atmosphere and the towering shelves of books. When she first entered it, she felt immediately at ease.

It had become a more frequent location for Lyra in the past three days. Since her meeting with Dumbledore, she had been spending every free moment she had in the library trying to figure out her dreams. The conundrum had been diminished to a puzzle that Lyra needed to crack. She had first started with old newspapers. Though it pained her greatly, she scanned for references of Sirius Black. Sirius O. Black was part of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, a pure-blood family famous for their anti-Muggle sentiments and allegiance to You-Know-Who. He had been part of the Death Eaters, the army of You-Know-Who, and had been reported to be the right-hand man of the Dark Lord himself. With a single Blasting curse, he had killed twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrew, an innocent young wizard. He had been sentenced to a life in Azkaban without a trial. The first report of his escape was on June 23 of that year. He was the first person to ever escape from Azkaban, though his means were still a perplexity to the Ministry. He had been classified as a Class 11 dangerous criminal, which was the highest possible criminal classification.

Lyra became increasingly numb as she continued to search for answers. The pain of the fact that… that monster, that behemoth was her father, was almost unbearable. She began to regard the information she gathered objectively, as if she was just another Ministry official trying to piece together the puzzle pieces.

Next, she read books about dreams. She was introduced to a branch of magic called divination. Though it all sounded like malarkey to the young girl, she learned much about the significance of dreams. According a book about dreams by one Cassandra Trelawney, dreams about shared experience could suggest a connection between people that went deeper than the conscious. It could also be an omen that she was to have an important confrontation with that person in the near future. Other sources unrelated to divination said that shared dreams could signify the natural adeptness of a person in Legilimency, the branch of magic that related to the reading of minds. Natural adeptness, however, mostly occurs exclusively in the most powerful, prodigal wizards. Hereditary Legilimency powers are very, very rare, but not unheard of.

Lyra kept all this information in a leather-bound notebook. She didn't check out the books, though. Madam Pince already disliked her and she didn't want to fan the flames. Ron already seemed suspicious that Lyra was spending so much time in the library. She didn't need any extra trouble.

It was a Friday afternoon. Halloween was that Sunday. October was finally drawing to a close. November had always been Lyra's favourite month. With the bare trees, the whistling winds, and the dreariness, everything seemed so quiet, perplexed, focused, contemplative. Lyra _was_ looking forward to Halloween, though. Luna had told her that Halloween at Hogwarts was a truly amazing experience.

Lyra was sitting in the back of the massive library, away from the upperclassmen. Sprawled across the table was a copy of _Unfogging the Future_ by Cassandra Vablatsky. Lyra had noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione carrying copies of it and when she asked, they said it was for Divination. Most of the information was rendered useless to the first-year, but she wanted to be sure she wasn't missing anything. She nearly leaped out of her seat when she heard a small cough.

"Lyra?" a quiet voice asked. Lyra turned, her grey eyes wide. She was surprised to see Francis Abbott standing behind her. He donned a Hufflepuff tie that seemed to match his blond hair.

"Francis?" she asked as politely as possible. She had barely spoken to Francis since the beginning of term.

"I was wondering if you could help me study for the Charms test on Monday," Francis asked quietly. Lyra considered for a moment. She had been studying all week and thought she was prepared, but helpings others study was a different learning strategy that might help her review. "Sure," she said at last. Francis sat down in the chair across from Lyra and pulled out his notebook. They went over a few basic incantations and their corresponding motions before Francis noticed the book.

" _Unfogging the Future_? Are you already studying?" he mused, smiling. Lyra's lips twisted downward.

"Pardon?" she asked, puzzled.

"We take Divination in third year. My sister is taking it. Apparently, Trelawney is a nutter. She predicts that one member of every class every year is going to die and makes them drink awful tea."

Lyra managed a laugh, a feat she hadn't accomplished in days.

"Who's the victim this year?" she asked out of genuine curiosity. Francis didn't miss a beat.

"Oh, Harry Potter. _The Boy-Who-Lived, destined to die_ ," Francis mocked. Lyra narrowed her eyes and scrambled to her feet. She felt as if a puzzle piece had just _clinked_ in her head.

"Lyra? Are you alright?" Francis asked, concerned. Lyra felt a pang of remorse run through her. Francis had been very kind and she was acting like a prat.

"Oh, sorry. I just realized I had found a table about basic incantations in a book a few days ago. I'll go get it. The shelf is nearby," Lyra fibbed. Well, there was actually a book, but her outburst was a result of her revelation.

When she got the book and returned to the table, Francis was waiting patiently. She handed the book to him and he flipped through it.

"Oh, thanks!" he said. Lyra smiled.

"Do all the Hufflepuffs hate me?" she asked suddenly. Her face immediately reddened. Francis seemed flushed, too. He waited a moment before answering.

"No. There are some gits out there, even in Hufflepuff. But from what I've heard, most first-years in our House don't. I don't."

"Thanks. Sorry." Lyra muttered. Francis shook his head.

"What do bloody rumours matter? You're brilliant and agreeable, too." He suddenly turned red, as did Lyra.

"I don't have many friends in our year, you know. None at all, actually. My roommates hate me-not that I care, they're horrible-and I've barely met the rest of them."

"You're friends with me, if that's what you want," Francis said quickly.

"Thank you, Francis. We _are_ friends," she said decisively. The two first-years continued to study and Lyra nearly forgot about Black.

"Happy Halloween, by the way," Francis said as they began to pack up. Lyra looked to the boy in confusion.

"I didn't think they celebrated that here." Lyra said. Halloween was one of her favourite holidays. A widow from the village usually gave all the orphans little pouches of sweets. It was a small gesture, but it was often the highlight of Lyra's year.

"Oh, they go all out. There's a Hogsmeade visit today, and there's a feast tonight. I guess I'll see you there?" Francis slung his bag onto his shoulder. Lyra nodded. "See you."

* * *

Lyra did not expect the feast to be quite so extravagant. There were roasts of all different meats, seventeen different kinds of potatoes, and everything pumpkin, from the unusually sweet pumpkin juice to pumpkin pasties. All the tables were lined with silver platters of sugary confections. The House ghosts proved to be great sources of fun; they zoomed throughout the hall. Lyra sat with Ginny, but everyone was talking. Lyra was donning a gigantic grin as she walked through the halls afterwards. Delirious, she soon realized she was lost. She was in a small annex of a corridor. The walls were full of moving portraits. Lyra pressed her back to the stone wall as she tried to figure out where she was.

"Watch it!" a shrill voice cried about. Lyra turned to find a painting of a dark-haired woman with heavy eyelids and bulging eyes. Her skin was wrinkled, like leather, and her hair was frizzy.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked, stunned. She had never seen that portrait before.

"You don't know?" the woman mumbled, then cackled. Her laugh was like lightning. It soared through the air and struck Lyra. Her ears burned.

"I know you, of course," the painting snarled. "No respect for our noble house. Raised by Muggles. Is it truly you who must continue our line?"

Lyra took a step back. "What are you talking about?" She glared at the painting. What house? Gryffindor? But she wasn't the last Gryffindor, not by a long-shot. And what line would she continue?

"Stupid girl!" the woman hissed. Lyra felt something stir inside of her. She didn't know what is what. It wasn't anger. It was a premonition, but it was also a sensation, an urge. Self-preservation, perhaps, though that didn't seem right. All Lyra knew was that she needed to run, which is exactly what she didn. She ran down the stairs, not caring where she was going. She followed a cacophony of sounds that she could barely make out.

As she got closer, it became louder and louder. More people than usual dotted the halls. Lyra hastily found Ginny when she reached the portrait hole. There was a small crowd around it and Lyra couldn't see the Fat Lady.

"What's happened?" she whispered into Ginny's ear. Ginny looked at Lyra with a rather pained expression and didn't answer. Lyra felt a tug at her shoulder. Prudence Macron stood with her, arms crossed.

"What's going on, Prudence?" Lyra demanded. She needed answers. Prudence quickly responded, obviously rattled.

"It's Sirius Black. He's tried to break into Gryffindor Tower!"

 **A/N: Hey guys! I'm coming back this weekend! I'll have a separate A/N announcing my return. Sorry this chapter was late, WildernessGirl couldn't get it together. This chapter was written by me, I think. I'm not sure, I don't have a laptop and can't remember. Anyway, blame WildernessGirl for the late chapter and get excited for me to return! I know you love me more than you love her!**

 **~Cherry Mall**

 **I hate Cherry Mall. The reason this chapter is late is because** **of HER. I asked her for the author's note 3 days ago, and she only gave it to me last night. I just didn't have access to a computer until now. Anywho, this chapter _was_ written by Cherry Mall. It's good, isn't it? We got a ton of amazing reviews, which I will respond to in a seperate A/N, so that Cherry Mall has a chance too. Thanks for reading and reviewing! (You love me more than Cherry Mall, right?) **

**~WildernessGirl**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Every single student was ushed into the Great Hall, where there were purple sleeping bags waiting for them. Lyra walked along with her classmates in a haze of shock. She had been told less than a week before that she was safe in the castle. That Sirius Black, her father who was nothing more to her than a stranger, a foe, could not reach her. Despite her anxiety the past few days, there was always a pretense of security. Now, it had been ripped out from under her feet. Lyra felt as if she was plunging into darkness. She was not safe. She was not safe. The only thing she had been certain of since she came to Hogwarts was that she was not in danger, something that proved false.

Lyra felt her chest heave as she began to panic. Did Black know? Was he coming for her? Would she even survive till the New Year? It wasn't just a coincidence that he chose Gryffindor Tower. He had to know of Lyra and her House and her very existence.

The young girl began to notice the other students' body language. They were distancing themselves from her. Tears welled in Lyra's eyes. Her life not only hung in the balance, but she was an outcast. She could not blame her peers, for she was even scared. She wished she could go back to the summer, when she was at the miserable orphanage, before she left for Hogwarts. She wished she was still optimistic about Hogwarts. She missed the girl who spent her days reading without thinking about her social standing or her parentage or her survival. She would give anything to go back.

Lyra inhaled sharply. She needed to sleep. The sooner she slipped into unconsciousness, the better. She noticed that students were gathering by House, but Lyra didn't care. She didn't want to be with them right now. She scoured the dark hall for the Ravenclaws. Alas, her eyes caught sight of a young girl in the corner of the hall. Her blonde hair was spread around her like a halo. Lyra tiptoed to her and laid atop the adjacent sleeping bag.

"Luna?" sShe whispered softy. Luna broke out of what appeared to be some sort of trance and looked kindly at Lyra. Lyra grasped her own wrist, trying to stop her shaking.

"Hello, Lyra! Why aren't you with your Housemates?" Luna inquired dreamily. Lyra looked down, her face flushed.

"I don't want to be over there. Where everybody can see me. Where everybody will look for mee,." Lyra muttered. Luna nodded.

"I like being alone. It gives me time to clear my head. It's very cluttered in there, you know? It's good for you to just sit by yourself and ponder sometimes."

"Ponder," Lyra agreed, making a brave attempt at a smile. Luna stared for a moment at the first year.

"Are you alright, Lyra?" the Ravenclaw asked the Gryffindor. Lyra was silent.

"R-remember in September, a few weeks ago, when I was all moody and rigid?" Lyra began, her mind made up. She couldn't keep it a secret any longer.

"Yes, Ginny was very worried." Luna recalled. Lyra nodded.

"Yes, I remember. It came after quite a stunning revelation. A-and by stunning, I mean it stunned me. And not in a positive life,." Lyra said far too quickly, the words flowing around. She was loquacious when she was nervous.

"You were in shock, if I'm correct." Luna said slowly. Lyra looked at the Ravenclaw with wide eyes.

"How did you know?"

"I spend a lot of time observing other people. It's what my mother taught me to do." Luna said sadly. Lyra was confused for a moment. Luna was usually bubbly and happy. Thinking about it, Lyra and Luna had never discussed Pandora Lovegood.

"Do you have… an idea about what was bothering me?"

"I do," Luna said gently. "You had a meeting with McGonagall. You talked about your parents."

Lyra felt her eyes wetten again. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." She took in a deep breath, her stomach in knots. She couldn't lose Luna. She wouldn't be able to bear it. Luna understood her better than anyone.

"H-h-he's my father. I know he is."

Luna pursed her lips. "Did McGonagall confirm it?"

Lyra nodded. Luna was silent for a moment. Lyra continued.

"I-I understand if you'd like to… hold things off for a moment. Not be my friend anymore. Really, I do." A tear slipped down Lyra's cheek, but she quickly brushed it off. It was the honorable thing to do.

"Hold things off?" Luna practically snarled. Lyra was taken aback. Luna always was passive, ambivalent, optimistic. Lyra had never heard her use a tone like that before.

The two girls sat in the dark while Luna breathed. "I came to Hogwarts only a year ago, but it seems like it's a world away."

"When I first came, it was almost two years after my mother died. She was brilliant. She died in an experiment in our house. I was there with her. I tried to call my father, he was out picking fruit in our front yard. I was close with both of them, but I had a special bond with my mother, if that makes sense. She would brush my hair every morning and we would just talk. Before she died, I didn't look so… messy. I wanted to call Daddy to come and help her, but she made me stay silent. She told me she wanted peace. She said she wanted to sleep. I was only nine, I didn't understand what she meant. We sat there quietly, humming nursery rhymes and church hymns. She always made Daddy and I go to the Muggle church every Sunday. I watched as she died. " Luna's voice cracked. Lyra noticed that she wasn't the only one crying. "It's not as terrible or frightening as it seems. I didn't understand until Daddy came back in and saw my lifeless mother with her head in my lap.

"There was a third year girl who helped me out on my first day. I walked with her to the carriages. You know, the 'horseless' carriages? I saw them. I saw the horses. They're thestrals. You can only see them if you've witnessed Death come and whisk a person away. I think I'm the only student here to see them. If not, the others are awfully quiet about it. Everybody thought I was crazy. They still call me 'Loony Lovegood'. They already thought Daddy just quacked and that The Quibbler was garbage."

"I was so homesick the first month or so. I cried every night for my mother. I barely paid attention in classes. I once walked around with no shoes for a week because some horrible students hid them. It was on Halloween when I finally snapped out of it. Professor Flitwick noticed it, he's very perceptive. He invited me for tea and gave me these little cupcakes from a tin and he made them dance. I don't remember laughing at Hogwarts before that. We talked, but not about me specifically. He told me funny stories about the choir and I told him about my house in Ottery St. Catchpole, with the plum orchard and the hill with the stream at the base. It was very nice. He made me feel at home, like I was accepted. That's the beauty of Ravenclaw. We like to cultivate ourselves, we're all dreamers with big plans and another plan to achieve it. We crave wisdom and part of wisdom is learning how to accept and appreciate people for who they are. The same could be said about any House or even Hogwarts as a whole. Until you have the courage to teach people about who you are, you'll never be accepted. We make ourselves without any help."

The two girls sat in the darkness. Lyra processed what her friend had said. Luna's extraordinary goodness was now so apparent to Lyra. Lyra had no idea about her mother, but Luna knew so much about how Lyra felt and how to comfort her and help her get through it. Despite not being a Gryffindor and seeming meek, Luna Lovegood was the bravest person Lyra knew.

"The point I'm trying to make is that you define yourself. Nobody else does. You and Sirius Black share only blood. How people think of you will not change until you give them a reason to think otherwise. If you succumb to self-doubt and accommodate whatever this is, you really will be who you fear you will become."

Quickly, Lyra wrapped her arms around Luna. Luna, she decided, was the best friend she had ever had. She would not lose her now.

"Thank you, Luna. Thank you," she whispered in her friend's ear. "And I'm sorry about your mother. You can depend on me."

"Thank you, Lyra," Luna murmured. Lyra held tightly onto her friend, but soon let her go. Lyra knew in that moment that she would have to address all the fears in her mind, but they were temporarily banished. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into a deep coma.

The next few days seemed to fly by quickly. Everybody seemed to have shut up about Sirius Black, but the threat still hung in the air. Lyra still received dirty stares as she walked the halls.

The young girl barely noticed, however, as there were a few new developments. Rattled by the break-in, Lyra appeared to have been placed under surveillance. A seventh year girl (who Lyra knew was a favourite of McGonagall's) lurked in the corridors Lyra walked. Teachers held her after class to ask about how she fared. It agitated Lyra to no end. She felt like she was a doll trapped in a dollhouse. Teachers and prefects treated her like a child. There was no escape.

Lyra got her mind off it by fixating on the upcoming Quidditch match. The prospect excited her. She knew quite little about Quidditch, but it sounded quite interesting. It was Gryffindor v. Hufflepuff, as the obnoxious Draco Malfoy faked some injury. Lyra didn't know the full story. She tried to stay off the subject of Draco. She would have liked to forget their relation entirely.

She and the rest of the Gryffindors were quite excited when the first weekend of November came. November had always been Lyra's favourite month. It was contemplative, focused. Misunderstood. Lyra had favourites of everything.

She and Ginny made the cold walk down to the pitch with the rest of the school. It was a rainy, miserable day that Lyra would normally have preferred to read on, but there was a sense of spirit and comradery among the Gryffindors. Lyra was giddy with trepidation. She wore a worn, brown leather jacket with a fleece lining, a brown jumper and a pair of ripped, light-washed old jeans that Ginny had given her. She donned a Gryffindor scarf that she had wrapped tightly around her neck and a pair of combat boots. Ginny teased her as they walked down to the pitch that she looked like she was dressed for war.

The Quidditch pitch was a large green field with multiple towering stands and tall, oddly shaped posts. Lyra was guided to one of the stands which was adorned with the Gryffindor colours. Ginny had explained the basics of the game to Lyra, but in the moment, Lyra couldn't recall any of the information. She watched avidly as the two teams strode onto the pitch. The Hufflepuffs wore canary yellow robes, and the Gryffindors' apparel consisted of scarlet robes.

She heard the referee, Madam Hooch, blow her whistle and the players mounted their brooms. "That's Harry," a voice behind Lyra commented. She turned around to see Ron and Hermione, Ron watching excitedly, Hermione worriedly. Lyra followed Ron's finger to see a blur of scarlet in the rain. He hovered above the pitch, occasionally flying back and forth.

As the game went on, the rain thickened and loud claps of thunder could be heard almost every twenty seconds. Lyra could barely see any of the players, other than the bright colors of their robes. As lightning flashed, she heard the whistle again.

"It's a timeout," Ron explained. He had been narrating the game from the start, annoying Lyra to no end.

"Oh!" Hermione cried. She sprung up and ran down to the pitch, pulling her wand from her pocket. Lyra watched as she approached Harry, tapped his glasses with her wand, and ran back to the bleachers.

"What did you do?" Lyra asked, interested.

"Charmed his glasses to repel water," Hermione said as the game resumed. Harry took his place again above the other players. More thunder and lightning resounded, causing Hermione and Ginny to gasp in fear, Ron to mutter, "Oi, why don't they cancel it and play another time?" and Lyra to wince.

They watched as Harry turned on his broom, right as a flash of lightning lit up the pitch. Harry suddenly dropped a few feet, and Lyra looked where his broom faced. She caught a glimpse of a shadow of a large dog in the abandoned row of bleachers at the top. The pitch went dark again, and the dog was gone.

Lyra returned her attention to the pitch, where Harry and Cedric Diggory, the Seeker for Hufflepuff, had each sped up on their brooms.

"They've seen the Snitch!" Ron crowed. "But Diggory's gonna get there first! Come on, Harry!" Lyra continued to ignore him, for something strange was occurring on the pitch.

Everything had gone silent. A mist swept in out of nowhere, shrouding the stadium in a thick, gray fog. Goosebumps rose on Lyra's arms, and she unconsciously shuffled closer to Ginny.

Suddenly, Lyra felt a shock of cold, a shock eerily familiar. Dementors, she thought, horrified. Gazing down at the ground, she saw at least a hundred dementors, all standing underneath Harry. Paling, she looked back at the raven-haired boy. Then she heard the screaming.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside now!"

Lyra screamed, and then the wailing of the baby she had heard on the train began.

"Make it stop!" Lyra howled. She looked at Ginny.

"You will open the Chamber, you will free the basilisk, and you will tell no one. You will not remember this..."

"No!" Lyra screamed, and then she saw Harry falling.

"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"

Lyra watched as Dumbledore suddenly appeared on the pitch.

"Ariana! No!"

"Expecto Patronum!" he bellowed, and the voices Lyra was hearing stopped at once. She saw Harry hit the ground, and then her emotions overcame her, and everything went black.

Lyra woke up to hear Hermione say, "Dumbledore was really angry. I've never seen him like that before." Lyra blinked, looking around.

"Hospital Wing," Ginny said, standing up from the chair beside Lyra's bed. Luna stood with her. "Merlin, you scared me, Lyra."

"Us, you scared us," Luna added, sitting on Lyra's bed and gripping her hand.

Hermione's voice continued from behind the curtain. "...He was furious they'd come on to the grounds. We heard him-"

Ron picked up talking and Lyra turned her attention back to her friends. "What happened?" she asked, squeezing Luna's hand.

"Well, after Dumbledore sent the dementors away, you fainted. McGonagall saw and rushed over, levitating you onto a stretcher and bringing you here. Dumbledore got Harry. He's behind that curtain." Giny gestured to where the voices were emulating from.

"Then Ginny came to get me. We rushed here and well, waited for you to wake up," Luna continued.

"Speaking of waking up," Madam Pomfrey said, bustling over. "You need to eat this. The entire thing, no complaints." She produced a massive chocolate bar, handing it to Lyra. Ginny laughed.

"She won't complain, I promise. Lyra loves chocolate."

"That's true," Lyra contributed, biting into the sweet.

"Now, it's time for you girls to leave," Madam Pomfrey insisted. "You two as well," she added, poking her head around the curtain to address Ron and Hermione. "Mister Potter and Miss Black need their rest. Now shoo!"

After exchanging quick goodbyes, they left, and Madam Pomfrey headed to her office. Lyra pushed her blanket off and stood up, pulling open the curtain that separated Harry's bed from her's.

"So, how are you?" she asked quietly, finishing her chocolate bar.

"I could be better," Harry said, downcast.

"Sorry about the Quidditch game."

"It's okay. How are you? What happened? All Ron and Hermione said was that you fainted."

"Yeah, that's basically what happened. I don't know why," she lied easily. She did know why. All of the voices. But she didn't know why she had heard the voices.

Harry yawned. "Oh, well maybe you should ask Madam Pomfrey, or something."

"Yeah, I might do that," Lyra said absently, thinking of who she would actually ask.

"Good night, Lyra. See you in the morning. Of course, I have no choice." He smiled. Lyra laughed.

"Good night, Harry."

The next morning, Lyra awoke to find Dumbledore sitting in the chair Ginny had occupied the night prior. "Er, hello professor," she said, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"I expect you're quite confused about why I am here."

"Well, yes, but I did want to see you. I have some questions."

"I'm sure you do. For instance, why you could hear all those voices last night?"

"H-how-"

"Did I know?" The professor's eyes twinkled. "I will get to that, of course, but first I think it would be better if I explained my theory on why you could hear the voices." Lyra could only nod, speechless. "Now, have you ever heard of a Legilimens or Legilimency?"

"No," Lyra said hesitantly.

"Well, a Legilimens is a person with the ability to look into someone's mind and see their thoughts. Legilimency is the name of that ability. There are two types of Legilimens, people who acquire the skill through training their mind, and people who inherit the ability from their family. You are the second type."

"So, I can read people's minds?" Lyra asked, wary of her newly discovered ability.

"Essentially. You inherited the ability from your mother, who was an accomplished Legilimens." Dumbledore smiled. "I assume you don't hear voices on a regular basis?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean, no, I don't hear voices on a regular basis." Lyra flushed.

"And you are confused as to why you could hear them at the Quidditch match?" Lyra nodded. "That is because when dementors feed-" Dumbledore winced. "On people, that person's fear, hatred, and their worst memories return to haunt them, but at least ten times stronger." With a shudder, Lyra recalled the crying baby she had heard when the dementors attacked her. "With the strong emotions surrounding you, you were able to hear, and feel, what they were feeling when you looked at them," Dumbledore continued.

"Oh," Lyra said quietly.

"As to why I could tell you were hearing voices, that is because I am an Occlumens. That means I can prevent people from entering my mind. Even when the dementors were attacking me, I felt you in my mind, although I could not force you out.

"I think it would be best for you to learn to control your ability, so you don't slip into people's minds accidentally."

"Thank you," Lyra said adamantly. "The emotions were too much."

"Professor Snape is one of the best Legilimens I know. He can train you." Dumbledore looked hard at Lyra. "That is okay with you?" Lyra felt her cheeks flush with anger towards Snape, who hated her for no reason, but nodded. She needed to learn to hone her ability.

"You may begin meeting with Professor Snape after the winter holidays. I need to check with him, of course, but I'm sure he will be happy to help." Lyra laughed inwardly.

Yeah, right, she thought. More like, I'm sure he'll be happy to help, after he's promised a pay raise.

"Miss Black, it will probably be best if you don't tell people about your ability or meetings with Professor Snape. You may tell your friends," he added, after seeing Lyra's outraged expression.

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Miss Black."

"Goodbye, sir." Dumbledore got up to leave, but stopped and turned back.

"I sense there's something else you would like to ask me." Lyra gaped, nodding. How did he know?

"Sir, I don't mean to pry, but who's Ariana?" Lyra asked cautiously. The man seemed to weaken before her eyes and he sat back down. "I'm sorry, sir," she added quickly.

"It's alright, Miss Black. Ariana…" He paused, as if he had trouble saying the name. "She was my sister." Lyra noticed the "was", but didn't ask any further. It obviously pained Dumbledore to talk about her. As the headmaster left the Hospital Wing, Lyra sank back onto her pillows. She could read minds! Busy with her thoughts, Lyra didn't notice as two more visitors entered the hospital wing.

"Hello!" George exclaimed. Lyra shrieked, startled. George laughed, and Lyra noticed the person next to him. "This is my favorite twin, Freddie," George said, pointing at him.

"So he must be your least favorite twin as well," Lyra said lightly, grinning. Fred laughed.

"I like her," he said to George.

"Thank you! I do try." They grinned, sitting down in the chairs beside Lyra's bed.

"So, how are you feeling?" George asked.

"Fine, but Madam Pomfrey insists on keeping me here over the weekend." She rolled her eyes. The three chatted aimlessly for a while, before Madam Pomfrey kicked them out.

"She needs her rest!" the nurse squawked.

The rest of the weekend passed quickly, and Lyra was surprised at the number of visitors she got. Francis came, bringing his sister Hannah, The Daily Prophet, and chocolate from Honeydukes ("Hannah bought it!"). The twins came again, with more of the sweets George had given Lyra before. Ginny and Luna spent all their free time with her, and Hermione and Ron came to visit after they would see Harry. Lyra got sweets from multiple unknown people, but one box of chocolates had a note written in McGonagall's handwriting.

Relieved when Sunday night came, Lyra ran to the Gryffindor common room, Harry following her, and spent the night talking with Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. She went to bed with a smile on her face.

 **Hi guys! That was probably my favorite chapter so far. Cherry Mall wrote the first part, and I wrote the entire Quidditch match. I LOVED writing that. So, Lyra is a Legilimens! Sorry if that seems crazy, but we loved the idea, and it'll be useful later. That also explains why she has the dream at the beginning of Chapter 1(if you remember). Now, sorry that this chapter is so late, I'm visiting my grandmother and don't really have access to a computer, and Cherry Mall is working at a camp for small children. Thanks for bearing with us. We appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, but flames will not be tolerated. Love you guys!**

 **Wilderness Girl**

 **Hey guys! To be honest, I forgot I wrote the first part of this chapter. Luna is my favorite character, so I loved writing her part. I was close to tears when I wrote that part. Luna is seriously the best character. I'm the one who came up with the Legilimens part. Let me explain my reasoning. I had two main reasons. One was my own character. I'm a rational person and I can't deal with an unexplained phenomenon in my story. The only other person with this power is Harry, and we're not going to turn Lyra into a Horcrux anytime soon. In Fantastic Beasts, Queenie is a born Legilimens, so we know that it i possible to be born that way. The second reason is the connection with Mary. Mary and Lyra are very similar in a lot of ways. They're highly intelligent bookworms. However, so far they haven't had a lot of connections. By making Mary a Legilimens, we created one. Not a literal one, where they can communicate, to clarify, though we will have them meet at some point, but something they have in common.**

 **Thank you to all our new followers! Welcome to our family! On a similar note, WE ARE SO SORRY! We have not responded to reviews since about June 8. We took some time together to respond to all of them together. Next chapter is the Christmas chapter, as well as the end of Act I. Thank you all for reading!**

 **Cherry Mall**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **Presea221: We're so sorry that we never responded! We are evil! Thank you so much for everything! We could write a whole essay responding to all your reviews, but that would end up being longer than the chapter. Thank you for being so devoted! We will respond to every single review you post from now one individually. You predicted a bunch of things correctly, by the way. Thank you again so much! Also, we would have had McGonagall be the one to talk to Lyra, but Harry and Remus already have the Patronus lessons, so we had to even the playing field and have some Lyra-Remus scenes. I really hope you like Act II!**

 **Meester Lee: I can actually imagine Narcissa knowing about Lyra. However, I don't think they would've wanted anything to do with her because her mom is a Muggleborn. If you recall, Snape doesn't deal with smart girls too well, hence him intensely loathing Lyra, maybe even as much as he hates Harry. I plan on reading your story, by the you for the kind words! I hope you like Act II!**

 **Guest(June 26): Thank you! I hope you like Act II!**

 **MadJazzy: Thanks for the input! We have already started to make some plans for Lyra's love life, including some edits! I hope you like Act II!**

 **MarauderBeMe: Thanks for the input! I hope you like Act II!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Lyra seemed to drift through the last weeks of November like a spirit. She studied, she ate, she slept. She talked to her friends and read a great deal. But the last few weeks weren't all that eventful. The rumours had died down for some new one had started up and Lyra was grateful. For once, she actually felt like a normal Hogwarts student. Of course, she still had impromptu meetings with McGonagall after class, and Romilda and Polly were still awful to her in the dormitory, but Lyra still felt remarkably normal. She had never felt normal before. At the orphanage, she was a wicked girl who did bizarre things. And until recently, she was seen as the daughter of an infamous murderer. Which she was, but nobody knew that save for her and Luna, and Lyra had even pushed it out of her mind.

When the papers for staying at Hogwarts over the holiday break came, Lyra filled one out without hesitation. She was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Luna for breakfast. She did that quite often. Lyra liked the Ravenclaws. They were reserved, but intelligent and witty. And to her surprise, they used a good amount of sarcasm.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home to the orphanage? It's not far from here and it might be nice to clear your head away from the castle." Luna suggested. Lyra smiled and shook her head.

"They hate me there. I suppose I feel some attachment to it, but not enough to go back before the end of term. I'll forget everything I learned here. I'll revert back to old Lyra."

"I'm sure you won't, but don't listen to me. I'm going home for the holidays."

"To see your father?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, I'm excited. We're travelling. We're going to meet a woman who has some information about Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Daddy's trying to make a bust."

"That's interesting." Lyra grabbed a nearby Prophet and glanced at the the headline. NO LEADS IN BLACK INVESTIGATION: FUDGE EXPRESSES APPREHENSION, it read. Lyra pursed her lips. Luna looked over Lyra's shoulder.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Luna mused. "Dumbledore said there's no evidence that he's been here since October. If he even knew you existed, he also wouldn't know if you were going home for the holidays or not. It would be too risky for him to strike without certainty."

"Thanks," Lyra muttered, "I needed that."

"Stop panicking. You'll be fine. I promise you that in January we'll be reading a headline that says BLACK CAUGHT IN INDONESIA: BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME."

Lyra laughed half-heartedly.

"Today's the first Hogsmeade weekend," Lyra changed the subject. Luna looked up.

"Any significant plans?"

"Just me and the library. It'll be empty. How about you?"

"I have to write back to my Aunt Hermia."

"Riveting." Lyra smirked. The two girls giggled. Lyra got up soon afterwards and headed to the library. She had finished her homework the previous afternoon, so she scoured the shelves for a good book to settle down with. She had exhausted all the fiction she had brought with her and needed a new novel. However, the Hogwarts library was seriously lacking. Or perhaps the entire Wizarding world was. The only literature Lyra ever found were fairy tales. She quietly walked up to Madam Pince.

"Excuse me?" she murmured. Madam Pince looked up, unsmiling. She raised her eyebrows.

"I thought you were all out," the woman groaned. Lyra shook her head.

"I'm a first year. Is there any fiction in this library?"

Madam Pince rolled her eyes. "Did you try the fiction section?"

"Yes, I did. It's all children's stories." Lyra narrowed her eyes. Madam Pince was always difficult and Lyra wouldn't have minded if she was competent, but she wasn't.

"Look again," Pince said simply.

Lyra felt anger bubble in her. She had been so carefree these few weeks, but she couldn't suppress her bad side any longer.

"I've tried. I'm asking for help finding an actual book in this bloody library!" Lyra's voice raised.

Madam Pince's nostrils flared. "Miss Black, you are one riposte away from a detention."

"Please. Where in Merlin's name can I find a book? Isn't this what you're for?" Lyra said impulsively, immediately regretting it. Madam Pince's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Out, Miss Black! Before I give you a detention!"

Lyra quickly scurried out of the library, her face red. Madam Pince had always annoyed her, but it was rather stupid of Lyra to lash out at a professor.

"Lyra!" a voice sounded as Lyra hurried down the corridor. Lyra looked up at Ginny Weasley.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the library?" Ginny asked. Lyra snorted.

"I may or may not have just had a screaming match with Pince in the library. I don't know if I've been temporarily removed or if I'm no longer allowed it."

"Are you serious?" Ginny chuckled. "The library is your natural habitat! How will you survive without it?"

Lyra playfully swatted at her friend's arm.

` "I'm only joking!" Ginny held her hands up. "Hey, have you seen Harry?"

Lyra raised her eyebrows at Ginny, who turned almost as red as her hair. The Weasley crossed her arms.

"No, I haven't? Why?" Lyra smirked. Ginny huffed.

"It-it's not like that! He just doesn't have his permission slip signed, but I can't find him anywhere around the castle."

"Ron probably snuck him out." Lyra said sardonically, but Ginny stomped.

"Are you serious?"

"He always bends the rules. He's Harry Potter, for Merlin's sake. I get kicked out of the library for lipping off to Pince while he can sneak out of the castle while there's a-" Lyra froze, blushing. She didn't want to think about that.

"What?" Ginny pressed. "What are you thinking about, Lyra?"

Ginny obviously knew what Lyra was thinking about, but wanted Lyra to say it so she could comfort her. Lyra wouldn't let her. Ginny would tell her that Black wasn't her father and Lyra would be betraying her by not correcting her.

"I think that I want to play Exploding Snap. Let's head back to the common room!" Lyra changed the subject. Ginny stared at her dubiously but following Lyra back to Gryffindor Tower. They played Exploding Snap for a while, then they played a magical version of Kemps with Prudence and a girl named Eloise Midgen. They halted when Ginny spied something from a window.

"Lyra!" She hissed and dragged Lyra by the arm. When they were out of hearing range of the other girls, Ginny finally spoke.

"It's Ron, Hermione, and Harry. They're all outside!" Ginny muttered. Lyra checked the window. Sure enough, they stood in the snow.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lyra pulled Ginny out of the common room. They hurried along the corridors until they found themselves in the Entry Hall, where they collided with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed. His sister crossed her arms.

"Harry, I thought you didn't have the slip." Ginny said bluntly. Ron and Hermione looked at their feet but Harry appeared emotionless. He pushed past the two girls. Hermione stuttered for a moment.

"He just met us outside," she claimed. Ginny nodded, though both of them didn't believe her. They followed the third years to the common room. Harry and Lyra were the last two to enter through the portrait hole. Harry glared at Lyra.

"What do you want, Black?" he spat and entered the common room. Lyra stood alone in the corridor. He couldn't possibly…

Lyra stormed through the corridors, trying to find an abandoned one. At last, she found a deserted classroom. She performed a basic Locking Charm on the door before sinking to the floor and letting her tears freely. Her secret, the one she had pushed to the back of her mind, the one she had tried and failed to forget, the one that kept her up at night, would soon become public knowledge. She was about to become nothing more than the prisoner's daughter. At the thought, Lyra let out a moan, feeling despair run through her. This was not what Hogwarts was supposed to be like.

Lyra didn't sleep that night. Fears plagued her mind. She wondered if she herself would be sent off to Azkaban to join her father. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she was a pox to society and once her paternity broke, there could be a public uprising and Fudge would have to imprison her. Or perhaps she would be expelled from Hogwarts for distracting from the learning environment.

She waited in the common room for Harry, her book in hand. Only Ron and Hermione remained. It was nearly twelve when Harry emerged. Lyra shot up from her seat. Harry didn't look at her. He hadn't seemed angry the previous night, but more distraught, devastated.

"Harry, you look terrible," Ron said when his friend finally emerged. Harry rubbed his eyes. Lyra tried to keep quiet, not drawing attention to herself.

"Where is everyone?"

"Gone! It's the first day of holidays, remember? It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you in a minute."

"We need to talk," Hermione put her book down suddenly. Lyra stood up.

"I'll be going, then," she announced. The three teenagers looked from one another. Without waiting for one of them to talk, Lyra exited the common room. They knew. They most definitely knew. She would have to confront one of them and convince them not to spread it, Lyra decided. It was the only way to ensure that she wouldn't be known as Lyra Black, the prisoner's daughter.

Deep in thought, Lyra entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. She grabbed a sandwich and pondered what she needed to do. She almost didn't notice the tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Professor Lupin.

"Good afternoon, Miss Black." Lupin nodded at Lyra. Lyra turned herself so she was facing him. His face was scarred, even more so than usual, and his hair was dishevelled.

"Hello, Professor Lupin. Are you staying here over break?"

"Yes, yes I am. Would you care to join me for a talk in my office?"

Lyra had a feeling it wasn't a request, so she walked with the professor to his office. He sat down at his desk and she across from him.

"Professor McGonagall told me that you requested to meet with my weekly to talk about your… affairs." Lupin started. "I apologize for not convening sooner. I've been very busy."

"Oh, of course." Lyra nodded. A moment of silence passed between them.

"So, how are things going for you?" Lupin asked. Lyra stifled a chuckle.

"That's a rather broad question. I'm not great, but I've been worse."

"Good, good. Have you been talking to your friends… a great deal?"

Lyra felt like laughing at the poor man; he was trying so hard to accommodate her.

"Only my friend, Luna Lovegood, knows, if that's what you're asking. Of course, the entire school has heard the rumours."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lyra." Lyra liked that he used her first name. It made him seem more benevolent. Lyra quickly settled and they fell silent for a moment before Lupin spoke.

"I feel as if we need to address the elephant in the room," he said quietly. Lyra nodded reluctantly, knowing what he was referring to you.

"I'm not sure if you'll remember this far back, but in your first class with me I caught another student taunting you. Have there been any other instances of this?"

Lyra hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should open up to the professor, but eventually chose to.

"I suppose you could say that," she eventually conceded. Lupin nodded.

"Do you care to elaborate?" Lyra took a deep breath.

"In simple terms, my roommates are contemptible, loathsome, detestable human beings." She inhaled, grimacing. Lupin did not appear to be taken aback, surprisingly. He even stifled a laugh.

"Who are these roommates?" he inquired. Lyra thought for a moment. She was never particularly close with her roommates. Romilda and the deferential Polly were just plain awful. Prudence was nice, though reserved, and Sin Jun was aloof.

"The worst ones are Romilda and Polly. Well, Romilda's the bad one. Polly just follows her. They're not the only ones. Some of the older Gryffindors, a few of the Ravenclaws and a handful of Hufflepuffs I can name. The Slytherins have been surprisingly quiet," Lyra responded.

"I see. Would you like me to speak with them?" Lupin offered. Lyra shook her head, her eyes wide.

"Oh, Merlin, no. Not on my behalf. They're mostly just obnoxious."

"Are you sure? When I caught Mr. Fawley harassing you on the first day of term, it seemed quite serious."

"It hasn't been that bad." Lyra fibbed. The only thing worse than being hated by the entire Hogwarts student body was having Lupin defend her honor.

"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?" Lupin asked slowly. Lyra shook her head, looking at the ground. She felt bad for lying, but she didn't want to fan the flames. After thanking the professor, Lyra exited the office. Her head hung as she walked back to the library. Harry obviously didn't want to talk to her and she had nothing else to do. She found a copy of Watership Down in the fiction section. Despite having read it so many times, she opened to chapter 1. She recalled the morning when McGonagall came, when she had snuck into the library and was reading Watership Down. Tears began to fall and Lyra quietly sobbed. She missed the days when she wasn't forever plagued by Sirius Black. She wished she could go back to counting down the days till September 1 and reading her textbooks. Though she had just woken up, Lyra's eyes began to droop and soon, the world turned black.

When she awoke, it was still light outside. The sun shone brightly. Lyra squinted, her eyes adjusting to the illumination. How long had she been sleeping? Lyra pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and pushed herself up. The library was busier than before, but it appeared that nobody had seen her. Lyra grabbed the fallen copy of Watership Down and placed it back on the shelf before making her way to the exit. Madam Pince was fortunately nowhere in sight. The librarian would probably have Lyra's head if she knew that the first year had used the library as a bedchamber.

Lyra wandered the corridors for a while, trying to develop a sense of time. She was too scared to ask another student for the time. She soon found herself at Gryffindor tower. She gave the Fat Lady the password and entered. All the Gryffindors who remained at Hogwarts seemed to be in the common room, so it was bustling, and nobody seemed to notice Lyra. Lyra could clearly spy Ginny. She was sitting with Hermione on a couch. Lyra quickly passed them, too tired to converse with them. All she could think of was her nice, warm bed. However, Ginny had other ideas in mind. She sprung up as Lyra passed. Lyra stopped, still drowsy.

"Hello," she managed to muster. She yawned. "I actually fell asleep in the library, and-"

Why didn't you tell me?" Ginny hissed. Lyra's eyes widened. She tried to feign innocence.

"What are you talking about?" she started, but Ginny cut her off.

"You know, Lyra. Why didn't you? You must've known for weeks, now, months, even!" Ginny's voice remained low, but Lyra still looked around. Nobody but Hermione appeared to be observing the exchange.

"I told you about my family. I confided in you!" Ginny narrowed her eyes. Lyra flushed.

"Can we…talk about this somewhere else?"

"What, scared that people will find out, Black?" Lyra felt her eyes tear up. Do not start crying, do not start crying, she thought.

Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "I didn't know how to to tell you, Ginny! Of course I was going to tell you?"

Hermione stood up. "Were you really, Lyra? I assume you've known since, what, September?" Lyra's stomach dropped. Hermione knew. She opened her mouth to say anything, anything but the truth, but Hermione stopped her. "The truth, Lyra. Tell us the truth." Lyra looked at the ground, her eyes focused on one stone.

"Yes," she murmured, still very interested in that stone. Ginny made an odd sound.

"I can't believe you," the redhead said, her voice strangled. Lyra saw the stone blur in front of her eyes, and knew she was crying. The tears were hot on her cheeks, and she looked up in time to see Hermione and Ginny leave the common room.

Not caring if anyone saw her, she crumpled onto a couch and curled up, sobbing into her hands. She felt the couch shift as someone sat down with her, and a hand began to rub her back.

"I'm sorry, Lyra," George's voice came. Lyra didn't look up.

"You heard?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"Er, yes, but no one else did. And it doesn't matter. What does matter is that my sister is being a prat."

Lyra stopped crying suddenly and stood up. "I have to go to bed," she said, and ran upstairs to her dormitory.

When Monday morning came, Lyra had not left the room since her argument with Ginny. She hadn't slept a wink, either. She didn't get out of bed till 10:30. She was beginning to get sick of the library, so she pulled on a coat and headed outside. Snow covered the ground and the scenery was idyllic. Lyra followed a path to the Black Lake. She had never been there before, but Luna had told her about it. Once she reached it, she sat under a nearby tree, pressing her back into the bark. She felt so numb that the cold didn't even bother her. Tears began to slip down her cheeks, but she roughly brushed them off. She didn't want to wallow in self-pity.

She heard leaves rustling a few feet away and cocked her head to see what it was. To her surprise, it was Francis Abbott.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you here." She sprung to her feet. "Please, don't leave on my behalf." She started to walk away.

"No, it's fine,"he murmured. Lyra nodded and sat back under the tree. The two first years were silent for a moment.

"How have things been, Francis?" she asked at last.

"Good, I suppose. My mum and dad are working overtime over the holidays, so my sister and I are stuck here."

Lyra felt a pang of sympathy. "Oh, I'm sorry." Francis shook his head.

"Don't be. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather spend Christmas. How are you?"

"Fine, I suppose." Silence overtook them once more.

"What do you like to do?" Lyra asked. "Merlin, that was a stupid question!" she exclaimed after a moment. She had been trying to think of ice breakers. Francis laughed.

"I'll answer if you do, too. I read a lot. I'm bloody awful at Quidditch, but I like following it. I like politics, too. You?" Francis smirked. Lyra couldn't contain a giggle.

"I like reading. A lot. There's no good fiction here, though. I like writing, too. I used to write stories when I was at the orphanage. I like politics, too, so I read the Prophet."

"Me, too. What do you think about the new dragon treaty?"

"I don't know much about Portugal, but it seems like a move of diplomacy."

The two first years began talk about politics. Lyra felt herself gradually forgetting about all her problems. Francis was a nice boy, and he was intelligent, too.

"You know, I don't really have any other friends in our year." Lyra felt her face redden as she realized what she had just looked equally flushed, but he responded.

"But you're friends with Ginny and that lot, right?"

"I wouldn't count on that anymore," Lyra said bitterly. "They're not too pleased with me right now and I them."

"Oh." Francis murmured. "You know, I'm not very popular either. I'm friends with Sullivan Fawley, you know him? And Archie Macmillan. But other than that, there's only my sister."

"But people don't hate you the way they hate me." Lyra mused. Francis shrugged.

"Most people don't hate you, you know? If you tried to talk to them the way you talk to me, they would respond well."

"I wouldn't count on that." Lyra laughed hollowly. Francis shook his head.

"I've rarely heard people badmouthing you. And, if you ever want to stop avoiding Ginny and hanging out alone out the Black Lake, you have me." Francis said suddenly. Lyra nodded slowly.

"I'm not alone, though," she mused. "I'm with you." She stood up. "Do you want to go to the library? I need to find some Muggle books. The library barely has any, but I know they're there somewhere."

"Sure." Francis stood up. The two first years made their way back to the castle. Lyra, for a moment, almost forgot about all her troubles. However, as she and Francis began to climb back up the hill, Lyra's eyes caught sight of a shadow for a brief moment. Her head whipped around. There was nothing there. The only sound was the rustle of a few leaves.

Lyra spent the first half of break avoiding Ginny and the others at all costs. She split her time between Francis, Luna, and the library. She read Hogwarts: A History and greatly enjoyed it. Bathilda Bagshot was brilliant and the content was extremely interesting, but her prose was also excellent. She and Francis spent most of their time talking about politics. Lyra decided that her favourite minister was Evangeline Orpington. She still felt empty, but she suppressed her feelings and busied herself. Being occupied also distracted Lyra from the impending holiday. Everybody was excited for Christmas and they didn't shut up about it. Lyra, however, wasn't. At the orphanage, the girls only got knit scarves from some woman in Caithness. Lyra didn't expect to be receiving anything this year, though. She didn't really mind, as it was all she had ever known, but it still hurt every time somebody mentioned what they hoped to be get.

To her surprise, every Gryffindor insisted on going to bed early on Christmas Eve. Dinner had been wonderful, though Lyra sat by herself, not wanting to celebrate. By nine, she was alone in the common room. Feeling rather nostalgic, she was reading A Little Princess. Frances Hodgson Burnett was her favourite author, along with Richard Adams. She sat by the fire and read. The last thing she remembered was Sara learning about her father's investment in diamond mines. She awoke in a warm ball on the sofa. Her book had fallen to the ground. She looked around for a moment, dazed and confused.

I must have fallen asleep, she thought, and got on her feet. She glanced out the window. The sky was a warm, pleasant orange. Lyra probably still had some time until everybody else awoke. She hobbled up the stairs to her dorm. Slowly, she dragged herself to the bed, but before she could fall onto her mattress, her foot hit something. Her eyes drooping, she looked down. She gaped as she caught sight of what was below.

There was a pile of colorful boxes, wrapped in ribbons. Lyra bent down and looked at the tags. They couldn't be for her. She never got Christmas gifts. She had given sweets to her friends, but she didn't expect anything in return. But nonetheless, all the gifts were addressed to her. Lyra silently counted them. There were eight gifts in total, but two were tied together. Lyra opened that one first. It was wrapped in red and green tissue paper. She tore through it to find a periwinkle jumper with a large, white 'L' on it. She opened the other one. A box of what appeared to be fudge fell out as well as a piece of parchment. Lyra picked up the paper.

Lyra,

Ginny mentioned you in one of her letters. She said that she didn't expect you to get many gifts this year. I make these every year for my children and Harry. I thought I'd make a one for you as well. Have a happy Christmas!

Love,

Molly Weasley

Lyra smiled, though she felt a pang inside of her. She missed Ginny. She hoped that her old friend hadn't mentioned their fight to her mother. She would have to thank her, though.

Lyra then opened a blue, neatly wrapped gift. She found a copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She had never read it before, but she had been told her whole life that it was one of the best books of all time. She looked at the tag.

Happy Christmas, Lyra! Love, Hermione!

Below Hermione's note, Lyra found Ron and Harry's names quickly scribbled. She choked back a laugh. It was sweet of them to give her a gift, despite everything.

She opened Luna's to find a clunky necklace. It appeared to be made of some sort of cork. Lyra grinned. She slid it on. It was actually quite pretty. She would have to thank Luna later.

From Ginny, she received a book called The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Her heart sunk into her stomach as she thought of Ginny.

Francis gave her a book about the history of the Ministry for Magic and other wizarding governments. Lyra smiled as she flipped through the pages. She would read that one first, she decided.

To her surprise, she got a gift from Professor Lupin. It was a box of chocolate bars from Honeydukes. Lyra immediately starting eating one. She was addicted to chocolate, after all.

Last was the largest gift of them all. Lyra was curious about who would send her it. She slowly peeled back the wrapping papers to find a… box. Lyra scowled. That was anticlimactic. She opened the box and glanced down inside. Her eyes widened.

There had to be at least a dozen books inside, maybe more. Lyra, her mouth wide open, ran her finger across their spines. She picked one up. It was titled I Capture the Castle. The author was Dodie Smith. Lyra's eyes quickly scanned the back cover. It was a Muggle book. Lyra picked up another, Animal Farm. It was also Muggle. Lyra flipped through all of them. They were all Muggle novels. The person who gifted them to her must have known she was in need of fiction. Lyra searched the box for a tag, but found none. She pressed her palms into the floor and crawled the perimeter of the container, but there was no card in sight. Lyra's mouth twisted into a frown. Who would give her this? A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

No, she denied, though she knew deep down it was a possibility. It couldn't be. How would he even know that? How would he even get it past the professors?

Lyra shook her head, trying to push the thought out of her head. It was nearly possible for Black to slip it in with her other presents. Plus, it was a sweet gift, and Lyra doubted that Sirius Black would ever think to do anything nice for anyone. He didn't even know she existed.

At the idea, Lyra felt an inexplicable sadness overcome her. Her father was a mass murderer. She shouldn't care about him and what he would think of her.

They were related. She had his features. She had his smile. He was her father. In another life, he could have been the one to drop her off at King's Cross. She could've been like him. They could've liked the same books or Quidditch teams.

You still might be like him, a little voice sang in Lyra's head. Lyra inhaled sharply. It was true. She could be like him. She could be evil. Merlin knows she had done some awful things in her short, little life.

Despite herself, a stray tear rolled down her cheek. She roughly brushed it off. It was her first real Christmas and she wouldn't let Sirius Black ruin it, no matter the relation they had. She had never really had a father, anyway.

She glanced at the books again. She caught a glance of some of them before, but now she noticed titles belonging to Dickens, Wharton, the Brontes. She also saw a few books of poetry from poets such as Blake, Tennyson, and Wordsworth. She picked up another book, And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. There was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as well. They were all classics; every single one had been published before 1960. They were also all books that Lyra had been wanting to read. As she stared at the books, her mind wandered back to her father. Despite her resolution, Lyra still felt hollow. Her heart drummed as she pushed down thoughts about her own humanity. She sighed, knowing she needed something to get her mind off of her unsettling thoughts. Reluctantly, she picked up Frankenstein, then scolded herself for her reluctance. It was highly unlikely the books were from Black anyway.

As she began to read, she lost herself in the words of Mary Shelley. As her roommates began to wake, exclaiming over their presents and wishing each other a Happy Christmas, Lyra remained reading, until a voice interrupted her.

"Lyra, er, Happy Christmas." Lyra looked up, scowling, to find the source of the voice. Prudence flinched at the gaze. Lyra's scowl softened into a polite smile.

"Thanks, Prudence. Happy Christmas to you as well." She bent her head to return to her book. Prudence turned away to get dressed, conversing with the other girls, and Lyra realized that she should probably follow suit.

Reluctantly, she closed her book, realizing with satisfaction that this reluctant gesture was positive. She stood up and moved to her trunk, grabbing a pair of Muggle jeans and her sweater from Mrs. Weasley. She thought again, and exchanged it for a different sweater. She picked up the Weasley sweater again, then set it down again. These events were repeated multiple times, with Lyra finally deciding to wear the Weasley sweater. Maybe it would prompt Ginny into talking to her.

After changing, Lyra left for the Great Hall, her roommates still dressing and chattering about their presents and such. When she entered, her eyes immediately scanned the Hall for two people. Ginny she found quickly, seeing as her friend was seated with her brother, and the two redheads were very noticeable. Luna, she disappointedly discovered, had not come downstairs yet.

Sighing, Lyra resolved to sit by herself and read, and then cursed aloud when she realized she has left it upstairs. Turning to go get it, she was stopped as two other redheads grabbed her by the arms and began to drag her back towards the Gryffindor table.

"Why, Freddie," one said to the other. "Were you aware of dear Lyra's foul mouth?"

"No, Georgie, I was not." Lyra pretended to scowl, fighting hard to keep a grin off her face.

"Would you to be so kind as to put me down?" Her question was ignored.

"And, Freddie, look at the sweater she's wearing. Why, it matches ours!"

"So you will not be putting me down then. Alrighty."

"Oh, Georgie, she wants us to put her down! Shall we?"

"Yes, my dear brother. We shall." They promptly dropped her onto the floor. Lyra's angry facade broke and she burst out laughing.

"Not what I meant!" she scolded, getting to her feet. "Nice sweaters."

"Thank you, dear Lyra!" they exclaimed in unison, sitting down. Lyra continued standing, but George yanked her arm and she joined them on the bench.

"Now, Lyra. Have you met Lee?" George gestured across the table to a boy with dreadlocks.

Before she could answer, the boy interrupted her. "No, I haven't the pleasure of meeting dear Lyra. How do you do, fair maiden?" Lyra rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't aware there was another one of them!" she exclaimed sardonically. The boys laughed.

"I like her," Lee said, using the same words Fred had when they were introduced. Lyra smiled, and served herself as the four settled into a lighthearted conversation. But when Fred and Lee went off on a tangent about dungbombs, George turned to Lyra.

"So, you and Ginny had a fight," he stated, lowering his voice.

"How did you know?" Lyra asked, not denying it.

"You haven't been speaking for the past few days. It's quite obvious if you're looking." Lyra sighed.

"Yes, we had a fight."

"And it was about your father." Again, his words were a statement. Lyra went pale. George put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't care, and no, no one told me. I guessed. Your reaction just now proved me right." Lyra's shock dissolved, hardening into anger.

"That was a rotten trick! I can't believe you!" She moved to leave, but George stopped her.

"Look, I only did it because I know Ginny is being a prat right now and I want to help. Come on, you know I was going to do it eventually. And I won't tell anyone, not even Fred if you don't want me to." Lyra sighed, but didn't make another attempt to leave. She trusted George.

"Okay. Yes, it was about my father. She found out, I'm still not exactly sure how, and was mad that I hadn't told her earlier." George frowned.

"She'll come around. At least you have-"

"Luna," Lyra said playfully, cutting him off. George scoffed.

"And-"

"Francis."

"And," he paused, waiting for another interruption.

"You and Fred," Lyra relented. "Honestly, it's nice to have you guys. The orphanage is all girls, and I've never had brotherly figures in my life. Now I do." George smirked.

"Oh, Freddie!" he sing-songed. "We have a new sister!" Fred turned, an identical smirk on his face.

"Why, how wonderful!" Lyra rolled her eyes as the twins continued to joke. Lyra's mind was now occupied by something else, though. The idea of talking to Ginny again scared her, frankly. The two girls had managed to avoid each other since their argument. Lyra, for example, would spend time in her dorm instead of the common room and would sit at the far end of the Gryffindor table. She had seen Ginny in the halls, of course, but she averted her eyes as soon as she caught sight of the ginger.

When she went to sleep that night, her thoughts weren't of Ginny, though. She had entered the dorm and seen her large pile of gifts and couldn't help but smile. This had been her first Christmas. She had friends who cared about her. She seemed to have come a long way from the contumacious, precocious orphan she had been only months before. She wondered if Mrs. Hinshaw would recognize her, both emotionally and physically, as she was no longer scrawny, thanks to the Hogwarts food. Her eyelids eventually fell and the grin faded, but one could still see her joy.

 **This is my favorite chapter. I love the Christmas chapter in the actual books, so of course this would be my favorite. The books Lyra received are actually some of my favorites. I love Ginny, but I love just having Lyra with the twins, Luna, and Francis. WildernessGirl and I shared this one. WildernessGirl is so great at writing the twins, don't you think? Lyra is very conflicted right now. It's been a turbulent year for her, but it's also been the best year of her life. Next chapter is when she'll make up with Ginny! We're going to have a big New Years part because of a personal connection we have to it. 14 is going to be a bit hard. This past 6-9 weeks are going to be hard for this story in general because I was away for three weeks and now WildernessGirl is going to be away for three weeks and she's doing the first part of chapter 14. We might break tradition and only have A/Ns from one of us per chapter.**

 **This officially ends Act I of Lyra Black: The Prisoner's Daughter. I explained the "acts" in the A/N I posted when I returned. A lot has changed for us since April, when we started this. I seriously never imagined it could be this popular. Thank you for all your kind words and support! They make my day! We're working hard to include you on Lyra's journey. We always include a little note at the bottom of our chapters that says flames will not be tolerated, but because you guys are so amazing and kind, we haven't ever had to enforce it.**

 **I also want to thank WildernessGirl. This story would be trash without your prodigious writing skills. You are so devoted to Lyra and have so many great ideas. I love you and thank you for co-authoring this with me! I hope you remember how our idea for a Sirius Black daughter story first began, a long, long time ago.**

 **We haven't posted in awhile and we want to metaphorically wash our hands, so this goes right up after Chapter 12!**

 **~Cherry Mall**


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The last week of break passed quickly for Lyra. She spent most of her time with Luna, Francis, and the twins. New Years Eve came and went, with no particular celebration, but Lyra stayed up with Fred and George to make as much noise as possible in the Gryffindor common room. It was a lively night. They stayed up till nearly four in the morning, lighting crackers of the twins' invention, as well as snacking on candy from Honeydukes and drinking butterbeer that George "had on reserve". She ended up sleeping on the couch until five, when she made her ascent to her dorm, promptly falling into bed.

Ginny continued to ignore her whenever they encountered each other, but Lyra chose to dwell of the fact that George and Fred adamantly repeated that their sister would come around, taking comfort in their words.

The books that may or may not have been from Sirius Black kept Lyra amused, and she finished Frankenstein in less than 2 days. She read Pride and Prejudice next and finished it quickly; Jane Austen was one of her favorite authors. She did have a bit of a difficult time with the prose of both books, but she was reading non-stop, allowing her to finish them in such short amounts of time.

The Friday before classes started again found Lyra in the library before lunch reading Heidi. A cough startled her from her book and she looked up to find a tall, thin boy with red hair standing in front of her table. In his outstretched hand there was a parchment scroll. Her eyes widened and she snatched it from his hand, stuffing it into her bag.

"You didn't read it, right?" she asked accusingly. The boy scoffed.

"I am a prefect. I would never betray a student's privacy. That isn't something a prefect would do," the boy replied haughtily. It was Lyra's turn to scoff. Something about him irked her. Perhaps it was his condescending demeanor, but Lyra simply did not like him. However, the red of his hair and the blue of his eyes seemed strikingly familiar, though Lyra couldn't place her finger on it.

"What's your name?" Lyra questioned the prefect suspiciously. The boy's chest puffed out defensively.

"I'll have you know that I am Head Boy Percy Weasley."

Lyra's lips formed an 'O' shape. He was the older brother of Ginny, Fred, George, and Ron. She had heard about him before, of course. Ginny often complained of Percy being a nuisance and Ron made jokes about his brother being "obsessed" with his girlfriend. The twins, they made jabs at Percy all the time.

Lyra began to unravel the scroll of parchment, but noticed that Percy was still standing there.

"Are you expecting payment? You can go now." Lyra raised her eyebrows and lifted her chin, nudging it towards the library exit. Percy huffed, but walked off briskly. Lyra turned her attention to the scroll.

 _Miss Black,_

 _Please report to my office for your first Legilimency lesson with me at 6:00. Be prompt and leave your usual insolence behind._

 _Severus Snape_

 _Potions Master_

Lyra groaned. She knew it was inevitable, but private lessons with Snape?

"Horrible," she muttered under her breath, rolling the parchment back up and shoving it in her bag.

Leaving the library, she headed to the Great Hall for lunch. Spotting Luna as she walked in, Lyra walked over, scowling. "My first lesson is tonight," she muttered, pulling the scroll out and handing it to her friend. Luna read it, returning it back to Lyra when she was done. Lyra exhaled, relieved she had a least one person to talk about it with. She had told Luna soon after Dumbledore had informed her of her abilities.

"Have you prepared at all?" Luna asked, knowing the mind of her studious friend.

"I can't, really. I read up on Legilimency as much as I could, but I don't know how, let alone what he'll teach me. Besides, he hates me! He absolutely hates me."

"So find the source of his hate," Luna said simply. Lyra frowned, and ate her lunch mechanically, debating over Luna's words.

* * *

That evening, Lyra begrudgingly made her way to the Potions room. Apprehension filled her. Her stomach was heavy; she felt as if she was marching to her death. She mentally scolded herself. _Stupid girl_ , she thought, _it's only one hour of your life._  
Still, she sighed when she finally reached the door of the classroom. She quickly rapped on the thick door and put her head down. The door was pulled open. Lyra could feel Snape standing over her.

"A moment late, I see?" Snape sneered, looking down at the young girl. Lyra's jaw clenched. It was two minutes past six!

Unsure how to respond, Lyra nodded.

"Unable to use your voice, Miss Black?" Snape raised his eyebrows. "When I am speaking to you, you will look at me."

"Yes, sir," Lyra mumbled, not wishing to get detention.

Snape turned on his heels and walked back into the room. He sat at his desk and pointed to a chair.

"Let me go over the guidelines of these lessons, as your normal behavior would suggest you need prompting and discipline. Any magic I teach you will stay in this room and is only for the purpose of maintaining the privacy of your peers. You will listen and leave your typical impudence behind. Do you understand?"

"Yes, professor," Lyra tried to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Snape rose from his seat and began circling around Lyra.

"As an accomplished Legilimens myself, I will teach you how to keep your skills in check. I expect you to be willing to learn what I teach you. As a young first year, I highly doubt you will be able to easily comprehend what I am about to teach you, but if you try and use this deficiency as a mean of getting out of the work I expect of you, the consequences will be severe," Snape hissed.

Lyra tried to stop herself from glaring at the professor. When had she ever misbehaved? He doubted her resolve and her Legilimency! He thought her indolent and plain stupid.

 _What I highly doubt is that you would say the same thing to a boy_ , Lyra thought darkly.

"Miss Black, if it pleases you, please demonstrate your ability," Snape requested mockingly. Lyra felt as if steam was coming from her ears. She wouldn't be surprised if her head exploded in anger. She usually wasn't able to just summon her Legilimency, but she wouldn't prove this utter arse right.

She remembered that on the occasions where she accessed other people's minds, she was always very emotional. More specifically, she desperately wanted something. Lyra closed her eyes. I want to prove this bastard wrong, she thought, I want to prove this bastard wrong. She focused the energy, the fire building up inside of her on the man standing before her.

She was suddenly in a corridor, but something felt off. Sun was pouring in through the large windows and students shuffled through the halls. Oddly, Lyra couldn't recognize any of their faces. A crack resounded through the corridor. Lyra quickly turned to see five young boys quarreling.

"What books are you reading?" One boy, with messy dark eyes and glasses, bent down to pick one of the fallen books up.

That's Harry! Lyra thought, even more confused than before.

"Secrets of the Dark Arts," 'Harry' read, glaring at a boy with greasy hair. "Studying up for the big Death Eater exam?"

"Arrogant toerags," the greasy-haired boy muttered. He reached for his wand. Two of the other boys grabbed theirs, as well.

Lyra's mouth formed an 'o' shape as she examined the faces of the boys with the wands. One looked sickly and thin, with a mop of mousy hair. Lyra didn't know how, but she recognized his face. The other was raven-haired and smirking. Lyra looked at his eyes. Silver-grey. Her heart began to pound

Suddenly, it seemed as if a puzzle piece had clicked. The greasy-haired boy was Snape. The boy with the glasses was Harry's father. The boy with the grey eyes was Sirius.

"Dad!" Lyra called out, feeling as if she might vomit. They didn't hear her, of course. It must have been years before.

The scene began to chip away. Darkness flooded Lyra's vision. She snapped her eyes open to find herself back in the Potions chambers. Snape clutched his stomach, doubled over. Lyra blinked rapidly, trying to process the information she had just learned.

While she was distracted, Snape drew out his wand. He pointed it at Lyra.

Lyra's grey eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do.

"Stop!" Lyra shouted, backing away. "Do you think Dumbledore will be too pleased if he finds out you tried to cast a memory charm on a first year? Even if I don't remember any of this, I have friends who know I'm here and they'll be pretty concerned if I don't remember anything!"

Snape hesitantly put away his wand. Lyra knew her face was red with anger. A professor- a professor!- tried to cast a harmful charm on her! Because she did what he told her to! What a despicable, deplorable little man he was! He studied Dark Arts as a student, Lyra now knew. The rumors about his allegiance to Voldemort were true, Lyra guessed. And he knew her father! Her father, the man she has fought to avoid every since she realized her connection to him!

"I-" Lyra began, not even sure where to start. "These lessons will never, in a thousand years, occur again!"

Snape refused to meet her eyes. Lyra grabbed her bag and ran out. 6:09, the clock read.

* * *

Later that night, Lyra lay in bed, content and at peace. Suddenly, she remembered Luna's words: "Find the source of his hate". She gasped, her mind putting the pieces together. What if Snape didn't hate her, but instead hated her father?

That revelation was stuck in her head when she awoke that morning. But more importantly, she finally knew why Harry had avoided her since Christmas. Sirius and his father were friends! Friends! Lyra even felt guilty when she realized this, guilty!

Armed with her new knowledge, after breakfast, Lyra set out to find him. She entered the ruby common room, which was practically empty. No surprise, Harry sitting on a sofa with Ron and Hermione. Attempting to put all her fears at rest, reminding herself she was a Gryffindor, Lyra approached him.

"Harry, may I speak with you?" Lyra said flatly, her face flushing. Harry's green eyes darted between Ron and Hermione. Hermione slightly nodded, looking at Lyra. Harry pushed himself up.

"Sure," he responded. Both Gryffindors began to walk away from the couch.

"I know you know, if that makes any sense," Lyra began. "And I know you must dislike the fact that my murderous father was friends with your father and he-"

"No," Harry looked down. Lyra could see his face was red. "I'm sorry. Honestly, it was none of my business. And I know you're not your father. I'm not going to tell anybody. We must have some things in common and I can see how you feel."

"Really?" Lyra breathed. "Oh, that's such a relief!"

"It's just normal, human decency," Harry smiled.

"And just so you know, I know you went to Hogsmeade. You must have cast some sort of invisibility charm and I haven't quite figured that out yet, but I know you went."

"I won't ask how you figured out the thing about our fathers. I know McGonagall hasn't told you that yet, so you must have done something illegal," Harry smirked. Lyra laughed.

"Long story. Let's just say that if Snape didn't hate me before, he hates me now."

Harry's eyes widened and he broke out into a smile.

* * *

For dinner, Lyra just grabbed a hot roll and returned to the common room. She was reading _And Then There Were None_ by Agatha Christie and was increasingly engrossed with each page. She would rather spend dinner reading in the cozy common room than being forced to sit with 250 other students who all thought she was evil. She also currently had no close friends in the House, with Ginny being mad.

Lyra barely noticed the portrait door opening. She was too absorbed in her book. However, she set it down as she realized who had entered.

Lyra tried not to glare at Ginny as the ginger sat down on a nearby sofa. Lyra couldn't help being angry with Ginny. They had been so close and then Ginny suddenly turned on her. Lyra couldn't help being mad.

"Lyra?" Ginny's voice sounded through the common room. Lyra dog-eared her page and set down her book.

"What do you want, Ginny? To berate me for keeping my familial affairs to myself? To start another screaming match and put me in an ignominious situation?" Lyra replied coldly.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said slowly. "I'm so sorry. I was so awful. It was honestly none of my business."

"Thanks for the Christmas gift," Lyra said quietly after a long silence. Ginny chuckled.

"I thought you would enjoy it."

Lyra sighed, "I really do want to be friends again. I'm still a little mad, but that's just water under the bridge now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Don't be. I missed you, Lyr."

"I missed you, too, Ginny."

With an apology, a good book, and a friend, Lyra felt perfectly content with her life at the moment. She knew she had had a rather emotional year and hoped 1994 would be better.

 **So there's 14.** First **chapter of Act II. We're so sorry! These past six weeks have been so rocky for us! We hope to make it up to you with TWO chapters! Lyra and Ginny are good again! And the Snape scene was intense. I know some people love Snape, but please keep an open mind about the way we portray him here. We tried really hard to depict Jo's brilliant characters accurately. I also love the Harry/Lyra scene. You'll see more of their brother-sister relationship in the future. Again, so sorry for the lack of update! Responses to reviews are at the end of 15.**

 **Cherry Mall**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Lyra was quite excited for term to start again. While she was happy with her grades from the past few months, she was determined to become an even stronger student. She spent the last few days of break reading, spending time with Ginny and Luna, and studying with Francis.

She paid keen attention in class the first day. Some professors, such as Flitwick and McGonagall, discussed what the students were to expect in the coming months, while some teachers, such as Snape, jumped right into lessons. Lyra took notes on everything the teachers said. She saw Francis looking at her weirdly during Herbology because of that; no other student has even taken a quill out. She was the last to leave every classroom because she had to pack her things up.

It was precisely this reason that Lyra found herself alone in the Defense classroom with Professor Lupin. She kept her head down, wanting to make a quick exit to lunch, but she knew he would stop her. As she headed towards the door, the professor called out, "Wait, Miss Black!"

Lyra gave a small smile as she turned on her heels to face her teacher.

"I hope you had a nice New Year's, Professor," Lyra spoke warmly. Lupin smiled at the young girl.

"I did, thank you. I was only wondering if you had any free time to have another meeting with me. I think it best if we make these appointments a regular occurrence," Lupin said. Lyra pondered the prospect for a moment.

"I have a lot of Potions homework, but I think I can complete it by seven tonight. Does that work?" Lyra finally said. The idea of a meeting with a teacher unsettled her after her nightmarish meeting with Snape, but she trusted Lupin and had actually found their previous meeting helpful.

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you then, Miss Black," Lupin nodded toward the door. Lyra quickly scurried down the moving staircases. She couldn't find her Gryffindor friends at lunch, so she slid into the seat next to Luna.

"How are classes?" Lyra asked, grabbing a sandwich and a goblet of pumpkin juice, as well as a piece of fudge. Her school-related relentless had taken its toll on her appetite.

"Alright, I suppose. I had a double of History of Magic and Professor Binns started teaching right away," Luna replied, chewing her lunch slowly. Lyra nodded, beginning to eat her own food.

"I have a meeting with Professor Lupin tonight," Lyra added casually after a few moments of chatting. Luna calmly set her spoon down, but her curious eyes were wide with concern.

"Are you looking forward to it?" Luna asked. Lyra nodded. "My last meeting with him was useful, and it can balance out my hellish meeting with Snape."

"Was it truly that bad?" Luna inquired, brushing her dirty blonde hair out of her face. Lyra nodded, recalling the specifics of it.

"I had a dream last night," the Gryffindor girl blurted out. Luna raised her pale eyebrows, prompting Lyra to continue.

"It was one of _those_ dreams, Luna," Lyra bit her lip. She was glad she confided her Legilimens abilities in Luna; she needed to have a peer outlet to discuss her abnormalities. Luna was also probably her best friend at Hogwarts. She was wise and kind and accepting and so unique. Lyra had nothing but fondness for Luna, who had stuck by her, put all her worries in perspective, and been so supportive despite the tragedies in her own life.

"How do you feel?" Luna responded, moving closer to her friend. Lyra shrugged, but her heart pounded as she recalled her dream.

 _She was in a dimly lit room, but even with the little amount of light, she could see it wasn't Hogwarts. It was a cramped room with two armchairs and a sofa. She was moving around, though she couldn't see her feet. Her heart pounded and she looked down at her pale wrist. A twisted line, almost like a burn mark, scarred her flesh._

"It wasn't as bad as my other ones, I guess. I think I know who it was, though," Lyra said shakily. Luna nodded.

"If you would like to, you can talk to me," the Ravenclaw offered.

"I know. I like talking to you, I really do. After Dumbledore told me in the Hospital Wing, I realized that the common thread between these dreams is my own desperation for knowledge about things I have no other way of figuring out except via Legilimency. I think it happened to me when I was a child. I always had odd dreams. But the first time I _really_ remember thinking that the dream couldn't be a conception of my own mind was actually the night before McGonagall showed up and told me about Hogwarts. For the months after my eleventh birthday, I had been very curious about my parents. I guess it reached some sort of climax. Since the Hospital Wing, I figured out who's mind I was accessing… or maybe I knew it since McGonagall told me, or since the Sorting, or-or even since I had the dream. It was my father's," Lyra paused. Luna placed her hand on the Gryffindor's shoulder, but Lyra shrugged her off, not quite done yet.

"This is the first naturally occurring Legilimency incident I have had since I found out about my abilities. There's one thing since then that has always been on my mind. Dumbledore told me that my mother was a Legilimens. I have never felt so connected with her. I know absolutely nothing about her, besides the fact that she was intelligent and abandoned me as an infant," Lyra spat bitterly, "but now I really feel like her daughter. Much more than I've ever felt like my father's daughter. Maybe it was a concoction of some variables, like New Year's or my anger towards Snape or Christmas, but-"

"No, I understand," Luna cut her off gently. Lyra nodded, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill. She hadn't been able to identify it yet, but talking to someone she trusted made it so much easier to articulate what she was feeling.

"What do you think?" Lyra asked. Luna looked at her quizzically.

"About what?"

"Anything. My mother, my father, the Legilimency saga. I need somebody to keep me grounded."

"Well," Luna hesitated, "I think that because you were… abandoned and your childhood was so repressed in many ways and you had no knowledge of who you were for so long and now you're finding so much out now, it's perfectly understandable that your abilities are now becoming more prominent. And I really do understand how you feel so connected to your mother, with you being so detached from your father and trying and failing to find a connection between him and you and you knowing so little about your own mother," Luna quickly said, waiting for a sign of anger from Lyra.

Lyra's eyes felt wet and she had to hold the tears back as a smile exploded onto her face.

"That… that's exactly how I feel. And what I needed. Thank you, Luna. So much. I love you, you know that, right?"

"It's only the truth, Lyra. And I love you, too," Luna smiled.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to go by far too slowly. Lyra felt like an absolute emotional wreck after her talk with Luna, but she looked forward to her meeting with Lupin more. After the whole saga with Ginny, it was nice to give release to some of her grievances. She walked quickly to the Defense classroom a quarter to seven, hoping she wasn't too early, after a nice dinner with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. She rapped on the door softly and poked her head in. Lupin was standing by one of the large windows, staring out at the night sky.

"Professor Lupin?" Lyra filled the silence. Lupin quickly turned around, surprise evident on his face.

"Miss Black, of course. Come, sit down," the professor nudged towards the student desks. He sat on one of them and Lyra sat on top of the adjacent one.

"How shall we start this time?" Lupin smiled at the student. Lyra shrugged.

"I don't know. I suppose I'll start. Things have been looking up. I made up with some of my friends," Lyra informed him.

"That's lovely. Was the rest of the end of your holiday so eventful?"

"Not really. I read and studied and spent time with some of my friends, but I didn't do anything special," Lyra didn't exactly know what to talk about.

"Sometimes a routine is a truly special thing," Lupin mused. Lyra snorted.

"You must have a book of philosophical quotes somewhere, Professor," Lyra joked.

Lupin winked at her. "I'll never reveal my secrets," he informed. Lyra nodded, grinning, but his smile fell as he changed the subject.

"Any negative interactions with your classmates? Any odd occurrences we should know about?"

"There were no unsettling interactions, fortunately. As for odd occurrences… well, it doesn't really relate to _him_ , but I had a dream last night. I think it was about my mother," Lyra was ready to confide in the trustworthy professor.

"Really?" Lupin's tone was clearly different. Confused, Lyra watched him intently as she continued.

"Yes… I had a dream. About a baby," Lyra lied. The professor was acting quite oddly. Lupin's face began to twitch as he tugged at his sleeve. She could clearly see the markings of something. She quickly glanced at her bag and dropped her pack of quills onto the ground.

"Oh!" Lyra exclaiming, trying to get down from the desk. Lupin quickly dropped to the ground.

"No, no, let me," he insisted. Lyra got on her knees as well, trying to gather the quills. From this angle, she could see up his ratty sleeve. The marking was clearly visible.

She had seen that mark before. The burn that twisted around one's wrist was a sight she had pondered. She had seen it only the night before.

She had seen it on her mother.

Lyra sprang to her feet in anger, though she wasn't certain why she was angry. Her mind was running a million miles an hour, but it still took her a moment to piece it together.

"You-you know her!" Lyra's voice shook when Lupin finally rose, holding the quills.

"Lyra," Lupin said slowly, knowing what the young girl was referring to.

"You lied to me! You knew her all this time and you still continued to meet with me! This is what McGonagall meant when she said you couldn't keep your feelings in check. You know my mother!" Tears came streaming down her face. She trusted him. He was the one adult in her life she completely trusted. And he had lied to her all this time!

"Did you think of her when you were talking to me? Did you think how poor Lyra looks so much like her mother? You didn't even think to tell me anything about her! I don't know my own mother's name and you do and you never thought to tell me?" Lyra's voice rose. Lupin remained silent, but he stared at her.

"I did know them," he said quietly, the shame apparent in his tone.

"Them?" Lyra repeated, her heart thudding. "Them? You knew _them?_ "

The tears came splashing down her cheeks.

"Were you _friends_ with my father? _Best friends_? Did you grieve when he was sent to prison for murdering an innocent man? Did you genuinely want to get to know _his daughter_?" Lyra hissed.

Lupin's face was as hard as stone. Lyra couldn't see any emotion in him, a stunning contrast from before.

"I think it's time for you to return to your common room."

Lyra huffed in anger. She wanted to be able to storm out and had no clever response to his suggestion.

"So do I," Lyra growled, her face hot. She snatched the quills out of his hand and ran out of the room. She walked quickly down the corridors and up the stairs, her face red with fury. She felt so betrayed and was so, so angry. She wiped her tears away before giving the password to the Fat Lady and entering the common room.

The overwhelming majority of the House was in the common room. Lyra couldn't see any of her friends in the crowd because it was so large. Very few people noticed as she stormed p to her dorm, but the people who did quickly moved out of her way, sensing her rage. She slammed the door to her dormitory. The beds rattled. Lyra grabbed a crimson pillow of her bed and threw it at the window. Slowly, she walked over to the shared vanity and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were pink. She didn't pay much attention to those features, though. She looked at the slope of her nose and the ridge of her brow and the shape of her eyes. She shared those with two people and many people before them. She had so desperately wanted to know about her mother that she used her Legilimency on her, despite her mother, as an accomplished Legilimens, probably knowing Occulumency. And he didn't think to tell her. She had confided her insecurities in him and he gave her nothing in return.

And her father… he knew her father. He asked her questions about him but he had known him all along. He never told her anything. He lied to her. He betrayed her.

 _I will not meet with him again_ , Lyra promised her reflection. She wanted to keep that oath, but she knew that she would have a hard time avoiding a man who was first, her teacher, and second, had a relationship with both the parents she knew nothing about.

* * *

After half an hour of crying and fuming, Lyra wiped her face and made her descent to the common room. This time, she was able to locate Ginny. She took a seat beside the Weasley girl on the sofa. Ginny glanced over at Lyra.

"Are you okay?" Ginny murmured to Lyra. Lyra was so tempted to keep it to herself, she had never discussed her father with Ginny before and at this precise moment didn't feel like she had it in her to breach it. But she remembered how betrayed Ginny had felt when Lyra kept lying and how betrayed Lyra had felt by Lupin's lies. She took a deep breath.

"I just had a meeting with Professor Lupin. We talked about my father and… it was hard," Lyra said. She knew she was leaving much out, but she really didn't want to talk about it. Talking to Ginny about anything relating to her father was a huge step, anyway. She wouldn't want to talk to anybody about it.

Lyra could tell Ginny wanted more details, but the ginger didn't ask again. The second-year placed her hand on Lyra's shoulder, though.

"Do you want to play a card game or something?" Ginny asked after a moment of silence.

"I would love to, but I need to get something from the library. It's only open for a little while longer, I should go now."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You and the library… the greatest love story ever told."

"What about you and Harry?" Lyra countered. Ginny flushed. Lyra smirked as she exited the common room. "I'll see you later!" Lyra called out as she stepped out of the Portrait Hole.

Lyra was quickly found her book in the library. She flipped through the pages casually, trying to get a sense of what she would actually be reading. She nearly jumped when she heard someone breathing behind her.

"Christ, Francis!" Lyra hissed. Francis smirked from behind her.

"I left my Transfiguration textbook in the Great Hall and Fitch would kill me if I went down there this late, so I came here to grab a copy and saw you. What are you doing here?" Francis said. Lyra rushed to find an excuse.

"Just picking up some light companion reading for my Christmas books," Lyra fibbed clumsily. Francis raised his eyebrows.

"Light?" He glanced at the thick book. The cover was leather and the pages were yellow and musty. It was in no way 'light'.

"Who gave you books that relate to 'The Foremost Laws of the Hogwarts School'?" Francis read the title aloud. "Wow, this thing is old. 'The Hogwarts School'?"

"It wasn't a gift. I just read _Hogwarts: A History_ over break, remember, and wanted some background knowledge about the really old rules."

"Oh. I see," Francis nodded. "I better head back to the dorms."

"Me, too. See you tomorrow!" The two first-years parted ways.

As she carried the heavy book back to Gryffindor Tower, Lyra felt slightly guilty for lying to Francis. But nobody could know what she was going to be reading about. Nobody would understand. She felt so betrayed by Lupin and her parentage had long made her feel uncomfortable at Hogwarts. Nothing was certain, but Lyra knew she couldn't go on living this way. She couldn't just have a normal life at Hogwarts. She had tried and failed too many times.

 **Dun, dun, dun! I had so much fun writing this chapter! I actually wrote it on a plane so I spent a lot of time on it. This really reflects how Act II is different. I wanted to have Lyra have a scene with Harry but it just didn't fit. Luna is my favorite character, so I loved writing that Luna scene. The Lupin scene was fun, too. Anybody have any idea what Lyra is planning? Finding out that Remus lied to her is a pivotal moment in the first year arch for Lyra. I also had a craving to write Francis and we had to include Ginny. WildernessGirl is writing the next chapter which might include the climax. I know, it seems so early in the story, but every chapter after sixteen is going to go really fast so we can reach the end of the year. Review, follow, and fav! Review and PM with questions! Flames will not be tolerated. Also, for Lyra edits and aesthetics, follow Lyra's Instagram at .fanfiction**

 **Cherry Mall**

 **Guest: Thanks for reviewing. I'm not sure how to respond to these, though. To your first review, thanks. We thought we could play out the most tension with this timeline. But honestly, I'm not sure what you're saying with your second review. If you're saying we're making Lyra weak, I appreciate your feedback, but I don't think we are. To become a stronger person, Lyra needs to experience some lows and break down a bit. We're trying to make her as human as possible. Lyra's incredibly headstrong, independent, stubborn, and resilient. If that's not strong, I'm not sure what is. To your third review, I love Ginny and wish they could be in the same dorm, but Ginny's a year older than Lyra, so they can't. Also, there's 15-18 Gryffindor girls and five per dorm. Even if Ginny was in the same year, odds are they wouldn't be in the same room. I agree with your fourth review. The group was really hard on her. Lyra does have a right to her privacy. However, they're kids and they make mistakes. Fighting with her friends is part of Lyra's character arch in this story. Anyway, thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter! -Cherry Mall**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

For the next few days, Lyra woke up early, _absurdly_ early. She knew that she bothered Polly and Romilda and Sin Jun doing so every sunrise, but that made her stubborn side sing with a little jubilation, considering how awful her roommates were. She would neglect showering, but instead quickly throw on her uniform and pour over her new book in the Common Room until people began to trickle in around six.

She made good pace, she would admit, reading nearly a hundred dense pages a day. She felt a little guilty for ignoring the generous pile of novels her mysterious admirer had gifted her, but she was determined to scan every page of the large book. While she still felt a great void inside of her that couldn't be filled with the presence of her friends or praise or anything remotely good, she felt a new light, a new purpose inside of her. She was no longer lost, wandering the world, trying to figure out how to be herself without being her mother or her father's daughter.

A little voice inside of her told her that this _mission_ of her's was utterly ridiculous, that tables of contents existed for a reason. However, Lyra was determined to do a thorough job finding what she needed. Her inner pugnacious self wanted to do everything to bolster the case she knew she would inevitably make.

Like a fool, she assumed that nobody would find out, that she was being careful enough to avoid the scrutiny of others. However, her false hope was disproven one Wednesday morning, about half-past five, when she was sitting in an alcove, book on her lap.

"You're up _really_ early," a groan sounded from behind her. Lyra's head snapped around, her raven hair flipping. She caught sight of Ginny's red hair and tired face.

"I'm reading," Lyra replied lowly, trying to discreetly cover the spine of her book. However, Ginny slid into the alcove with her, propping up the aged book.

" _The Foremost Laws of the Hogwarts School_? Merlin, Lyra, why would anybody volunteer to read this?"

"I-I recently read _Hogwarts: A History_ and wanted to do a bit of background research on my own," Lyra recited the same fib she had told Francis, though she faltered a bit.

"I will never understand you, Lyr," Ginny chuckled quietly. The ginger's eyelids dropped with exhaustion.

"Gin, if you're so tired, you should really go back to sleep. I'm used to waking up so early," Lyra suggested.

"And where in the world would require you to wake up at this ungodly hour?" Ginny quickly replied. Lyra felt her face drop, though she tried not to let her well-meaning friend see it. She often forgot about the way she differed from the other students at Hogwarts in ways other than parentage.

"The orphanage," Lyra murmured, refusing to make eye contact with her friend. Ginny quickly caught hold of Lyra's hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't realize," Ginny hastily spilled out her apologies. Lyra shook her head, plastering on a gentle smile.

"No, Ginny, it's fine. But you should really go back to bed, you look like hell," Lyra laughed. Ginny managed to crack a grin.

"See you at breakfast," Ginny waved, retreating up the staircase. Lyra turned her attention to her book, though guilt bubbled in her stomach. Merlin, she felt bad about lying to her friends, but she felt duty-bound to keep her business to herself. As the previous conversation had just reminded her, she wasn't like her friends or any of her peers. She grew up in a dingy orphanage, her father was a mass murderer, and her mother had abandoned her at birth, for Christ's sake. There were certain things she couldn't let out into the open.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to pass quickly. Herbology was her last class and thanks to Francis's excellent tutoring, she had managed to recover some of her grades and now didn't feel like she was drowning during lessons. Instead of heading back to the castle, she found herself walking towards treetops she knew stood by the Black Lake. While she enjoyed the heat and coziness of the Gryffindor Common Room, she sometimes just wanted a quiet, cool place to study. She liked being alone nowadays. Part of her felt broken from the ongoing saga with her mother and father and her Legilimency had become even more of a burden. She often found herself hearing voices she knew weren't in her mind, whether she be in class or lying in bed at night. She closed her mind whenever this struck, but it an exhausting task that left her feeling sick at times.

She started a bit on her homework once settled, but soon gravitated to her book. Her finger followed every line, though she was careful not to smudge the ink. Her head jumbled the lines, but nevertheless, she carried on. From the little bit of it she minded, she could see that the page she was on was of no use to her.

She looked up from the printed page to see a figure running towards her from the castle. She squinted to recognize them against the light. Once closer, though, she could see from the golden hair that it was Francis.

"Still reading that huge rulebook?" Francis panted once he reached her. He gently sat down next to her, pulling out some of his school things. Lyra quickly remembered that this was where they normally hung out when the library was too full.

"Yes, though I have a feeling I'll be putting it down soon," Lyra said lowly. She turned the page, but had no desire to continue on and began to speak.

"Your sister, Hannah, is in the third year, right?" Lyra inquired. Francis nodded.

"Is it ever hard to be known as her younger brother and not your own person?" Lyra asked, genuinely interested in his perspective.

"A bit. We're different people. She does well in school, but she's known for being kind and well-liked. When I got here and got whiff of it, I decided I was going to be a student and not a friend. Of course, I made friends, such as you and Sullivan and Archie, but I try to do well, first and foremost."

"Sorry for my attempt to be introspective, I'm just distracted."

"No harm," Francis congenially replied and began to gather his things.

"Sorry to go, I just need to grab a piece of fruit or something. I haven't eaten all day. I'll see you later, alright?" Francis stood up. Lyra nodded.

"Yes, see you around."

The Hufflepuff boy began to walk in the same direction he came only minutes ago. Lyra shook her head, trying to forget pleasantries and boys and studies. She turned her attention back to her book, skimming the new page. After a moment, her heart nearly stopped.

There it was. Page five-hundred-and-forty-two. She thumbed the words, trying to make absolutely certain they were what they were and not just a delusion of sleep deprivation and hunger and loneliness. Nonetheless, they were really printed on the page.

 _With the consent of a guardian, a student may choose to abstain from further schooling at Hogwarts following any amount of previous years of schooling, for any reason._

* * *

"Sorry," Lyra muttered for what seemed like the hundredth time since she entered the castle again. The sun had begun to set, creating a scarlet haze that spanned the entire horizon. While picturesque, it wasn't ideal for studying. Lyra had managed to finish her homework, but she had an Astronomy exam approaching and she wanted to review some of her notes.

However, she was distracted by her new discovery in the book and hadn't paid much attention to who she bumped into on her ascent to the Owlery to visit Echo. She walked only a few more steps before repeating her ignominious error. This time, however, her plethora of books dropped to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," Lyra rushedly muttered, scooping down to collect her dropped items. The person she had bumped into did likewise and Lyra met his eyes. They were emerald.

"Harry," she breathed, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't seen the boy since her encounter with him after he found out about her father.

"Here," the third-year handed Lyra two of her textbooks, Lyra glumly thanked him, sticking them in her bag and tried to brush past him.

"Wait, Lyra," Harry called. Lyra stopped in her tracks, turning around to face him.

"I'm sorry. For the way I treated you. It wasn't right," Harry hastily said, looking at the ground. Lyra nodded.

"It's alright, Harry. I get it."

"No, it's really not."

Lyra sighed, feeling not sympathy, but empathy within her. "Harry, don't be too hard on yourself. You've been through as much as I have, possibly even more, so I understand it."

"I'll see you around, Lyra," Harry attempted to smile, still barely meeting her eyes. Lyra watched as he walked in the opposite direction, feeling a sense of sisterly bond to the boy. He understood her more than anybody at Hogwarts ever would.

* * *

The Owlery was always a place Lyra liked at Hogwarts, but as she stood alone in the cold of February. January had passed rather quickly and while she still took good care of her dear owl, she felt as if she had neglected it in terms of affection. She serenely rubbed Echo's feathered belly, but her thoughts roared loudly in her head.

"Do you like it here?" Lyra found herself quietly asking the owl. It didn't respond, of course, but Lyra knew her owl had known no place besides Hogwarts. Like Echo, she had built an entire life here for herself. Now that it was crumbling, could she really tear it all down?

"I'm not sure I do, Echo, if I'm being honest. I'm so lost and I feel like Midas, except that instead of turning everything into gold, I turn it to dust. Life before here was simpler if you can remember. While I know that I'm part of this wonderful, magical world, I'm not sure I belong. Why does it have to be so complicated?" Lyra's voice cracked as she quietly continued. Fortunately, she was alone in the tower, but she felt rather self-conscious talking to an owl.

"I should go eat something. Ginny's already worried about me," she quietly murmured to the barn owl. She placed a tentative finger atop the owl's soft head before grabbing her leather satchel and disappearing down the twisting staircase.

* * *

As the Gryffindor girls prepared for bed, Lyra found herself surrounded by the faces of her unpleasant roommates. When she caught sight of them approaching, she set down her comb and raised her dark eyebrows.

"What do you need?" Lyra asked lightly, smirking at curly-haired Romilda Vane and her gang of followers. Romilda crossed her arms.

"We've all talked, Black, and we all think it's rather unfair that you get to disturb our sleep in the wee hours of the certainly don't do the same to you," Romilda sneered. While glowering, Lyra glanced at Polly and Sin Jun, who were emptily nodding.

"It's for five minutes, Romilda, and I never turn on the lights. If you can't fall asleep after that, it's your own problem. Plenty of people actually get up at five, unlike you dewdroppers," Lyra pursed her lips and tightened her mouth into a sharp line. She was far shorter than the rest of the girls, but at least she could burn her enemies with her wicked glare.

"Majority rules, Black," Romilda stuck her thin nose in the air. Lyra felt a deep anger rise inside of her. The constant bitter feeling of being an outsider managed to center itself in fueling Lyra's anger towards the rest of her roommates.

"There's honestly nothing you can do to stop me, Romilda, even with your band of goonies. Try it and face the consequences," Lyra spat, her eyes hardened into balls of rage and fire, or at least feeling like it.

"There's nobody for you here, Black. Sleep in the Common Room for all I care, but you're barely welcome here, don't toe the line."

Lyra was utterly outraged by this new edict of Romilda's. This inept pinhead was going to order her around in her own dormitory, as if she was a subject or a prisoner, using intimidation tactics? Her hands balled into fists and she felt her nails dig into the skin of her palms.

"I dare you, Vane. Cross me and you'll realize you don't mess with a _Black_ ," Lyra was sick at the use of her surname in this manner, the recognition of her relation to a serial killer, juxtaposing her identity with his. She had tried so hard not to be his daughter and she knew, in her heart, that she wasn't, but Romilda Vane was a demon who was using fear tactics. Why shouldn't she?

"Leave her alone," Romilda hissed quietly at the other girls.

Vomit rose in Lyra's throat. She had just alluded to _murder_ , just threatened her roommates, the people she was living with. She was trying to sway their opinion by scaring them, by making them think she was actually a danger to them. She had told herself that she was good and she was sure that one instance didn't define her, but what did it signify about the person she was becoming?

She crept between the thick sheets of her warm bed, careful to avoid eye contact with her roommates. She pulled the curtains shut, blocking out all light, and squeezed her eyes tightly together. Soon, she felt herself drift off into a restless sleep. Her dreams were odd and bothersome; thanks to her newfound Legilimency, she was no longer sure what was real and what was not when she slept. She awoke in a cold sweat, the sounds of her dreams still ringing in her ears. She could swear she could hear the slashing of a knife, the scream of a boy…

"Go to sleep," a little voice in her head reminded her. She lets her eyelids close and felt back into the feather mattress, hoping to banish all her worries and anxieties.

* * *

March came after an uneventful February. Lyra struggled to keep herself from bursting with panic and worry, somewhat akin to keeping a glass from breaking. She felt quite delicate as the month past; during the week, she rarely left the library or her study spot by the Black Lake. She barely read and when she did, she could barely make out any of the words.

Her slump reached a breaking point at the beginning of March, as she was packing up after a Defense class. Her regular meetings with McGonagall and Lupin had seemed to taper off in the past few months, especially after her spat with Lupin.

"Miss Black, do you mind speaking with me for a moment?" Lupin had called out to her as she was about to leave. Lyra gently set her satchel down and placed herself in the seat across from Lupin's desk. The worn professor smiled kindly at the girl.

"Pardon any intrusion, but you haven't seemed very well these past few weeks and I know our meetings have become irregular. I simply wanted to check in with you."

"After you revealed to know my mother and have been lying to me the whole time?" Lyra asked, nudging her chin in defiance. Lupin grimaced, his cheeks paling at the mention of the incident.

"I am sorry for that. You weren't supposed to find out."

"I don't see how that improves the situation, Professor Lupin," Lyra responded coldly. Lupin's eyes hardened again and Lyra felt her insides squirm, but she continued her streak of rebellion.

"If you have any grievances you'd like to air, Miss Black, you'd be welcome to," Lupin invited. Lyra could nearly see the traces of a smile on his tightened lips as if he was recalling a lighter situation of these same circumstances.

"I- I don't know who I am anymore. I'm barely holding it together. I don't belong here. I may sound a bit like a broken record, but nobody here at Hogwarts will _ever_ understand where I come from or what I've gone through. My mother abandoned me as a child and I have no idea who she is, yet I'm supposed to have this strange power that nobody else has but her. My father killed a dozen people and I'm associated with him and I can't help thinking that I'm becoming him. There's this whole world I don't fit into because my identity makes different from every other student here. I try to work hard and do my best and fit in here because all I've ever been good at since I was put in that orphanage by my mother was working and it's all I've ever been, yet every time I succeed, a new person finds out who I really am and hates me for it, or my father and mother did something horrible. How did I do anything to deserve this? Am I fated to be their daughter or something more? I don't know who I am, I don't think I ever have and I'm beginning to think that here at Hogwarts, I never will," Lyra felt the words come out of her like waterfall, spilling everywhere. Tears didn't prickle at her eyes and anxiety didn't boil in her chest, but she instead felt numb.

"Pardon my confused ramblings. I'll show myself the way out," Lyra volunteered, getting up and reaching for her satchel.

"No, please stay, Miss Black," Lupin quietly requested. _He's a thousand times more frightening when silent,_ Lyra thought.

"I knew both your mother and father, as you know. The events that followed the Potters' deaths, as I'm sure you've heard by now, though I can't imagine how, left me confounded. Mar- your mother was intelligent, compassionate, and courageous to an inhuman extent. You remind me of her at times. As I'm sure you've realized in this turmoil, there are too many layers to a person to classify yourself as good or bad on the basis of your parentage. I'm not just talking about you, but your mother and father. I've suspected something about you since I first met you, Miss Black, and in recent months I've known you've been in some trouble, but you need not experience so much turbulence in your personal life. I implore you, speak to somebody if these worries persist."

"Thank you, Professor Lupin," Lyra responded honestly after a beat of silence. "It's time for me to leave."

"Of course. Lyra-" Lupin's use of her first name seemed appropriate but was a bit jarring, "- don't hesitate to talk to me or Professor McGonagall."

"Of course. Thank you, professor."

* * *

Lyra couldn't sleep. Her eyes seemed to be glued open. She would roll over in her bed, hoping to catch a drift of sleep, but would find her mind racing and far from asleep. She didn't know the time and she doubted that she wanted to. Admittedly, her sleep schedule had been a bit messed up since she had started on her "mission", but she hadn't stayed up all night or anything yet. However, after recent revelations, she found herself distracted and wide awake.

Sighing in frustration, she tore open the crimson curtain and grabbed her leather satchel, ready to work. She cast a light on the words of an unfinished essay using her wand and dipped her quill in ink. She made quick work of that particular essay and soon found herself on the next assignment. Before she knew it, she was writing multiple drafts of a letter, her fingers become increasingly soaked with ink.

Outside the thick velvet curtains, she could hear the rustling of her roommates. She quietly set her satchel down on her bed and slowly opened her curtains, preparing to be scolded by her exhausted roommates. She was greeted by a bright ray of morning light instead.

"You're up late. It's nearly seven," Romilda smirked, triumph apparent in her dark eyes. Lyra's heart stopped momentarily and she felt her jaw drop. She hadn't slept a single minute.

* * *

Daisy Hinshaw's jaw tightened as she caught sight of the owl flying through the air. Her lips were tightened around the edge of her teacup. She was rather perplexed by the owl, as they weren't very common in that region of Scotland. As the owl approached the orphanage, she grew even more confounded by the strange bird, especially when it landed on her windowsill.

It was half-past ten and all of her wards were working on their studies. She had been enjoying a brief moment of peace and thinking over recipes for the orphan's supper.

Strangely, a thick piece of parchment, perhaps an envelope, was stuffed in the owl's mouth. It appeared to have some sort of ink on it, so she snatched it out of the owl's mouth, with a surprising lack of objection from it. The matron's breath caught as she glanced at the letters scrawled onto the envelope: _Mrs. Hinshaw._ She tore the envelope open to find a piece of rough parchment stuffed into it. She unfolded it to find a few sentences messily scribbled onto it. The letter read:

 _Dear Mrs. Hinshaw,_

 _I apologize for the unconventional delivery of this letter. The owl will take back your response to me. While I have been fortunate to attend my school, as the year comes to a close, I have realized my unhappiness and have decided that the best path for me at this moment is to return to Caithness. The rules of my school require the consent of my guardian for me to formally withdraw from next term, so I request that you respond with a line pertaining to your consent to this plan._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lyra Black_

Daisy gripped a nearby ink pen and reached for a scrap piece of paper. Before pressing the pen to the paper in response, she pondered whether or not she should allow the young girl to do such a thing. Voices in her head debated, images of Lyra through the years ran through her head. She had to do whatever necessary to ensure the well-being of her young ward, she deserved as much. She dug her pen into the paper, making out a few quick words, folded the paper and placed it in an envelope, and shoved it into the mouth of the small owl.

 _Dear Lord, I hope she's alright,_ Daisy Hinshaw thought as she watched the owl fly off, out of sight amongst the looming trees of the village. She had always had a particular softness for the young girl, no matter how dour the matron must have seemed at times. She recognized the pluck and intellect of the girl and while she cared about all the orphaned girls, she saw Lyra as her daughter more so than the rest. She hoped she had not made a grave mistake with her response.

 **Here's chapter 16. I hope you're all having a great time this December! Lyra will not be updated until 2018. Sorry that we've been so inactive but we've been incredibly busy since September. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I liked writing it. I eventually intended for it to be a short filler chapter, only about 2000 words, but my erratic muse caught up with me and now it's two words short of 4000. We've got a bit of a cliffhanger. Review with your guess on how Mrs. Hinshaw responded! Follow, favorite, and review, but no flames, only constructive criticism, if you can help yourself. As always, thanks for reading!**

 **Cherry Mall**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

When Lyra sat down in the Great Hall that fateful morning, her stomach was twisted into uncomfortable knots of anxiety. A copy of _Emma_ sat in her lap, but she had only made it a few pages through so far; she had other matters occupying her mind. Classwork had picked up as students prepared for final exams; the constant prep was something Lyra was quite unfamiliar with, schoolwork at the orphanage had been so limited that they rarely took exams. The young girl was nervous that she'd fail the entire thing and have to redo her first year.

 _Not the worst thing that could happen,_ a little voice sung in Lyra's head. She shook the dark thought out of her mind, she couldn't bear to think about returning to Hogwarts. The uncertainty of her return hung stiffly in the air, constantly weighing down on her conscious. Over the last four days, she had done well enough forgetting it. She'd even finished _Jane Eyre,_ she had been so intent on distracting herself.

"Exams," Ginny explained, "are torturous, _torturous_ things. They're a load of bullocks, really, but as soon as they're over, you're practically free for three months. It's a great relief. It means the school year's over."

To be honest, Lyra couldn't imagine this year ending. The months had lagged after shock after shock hit her hard. Hogwarts was different than anything she had ever known, but really, was it the place that made her happiest? When she thought of the freedom from pressures and restrictions, Lyra imagined sitting by the fence of the orphanage, book in hand, as the orange Caithness sun set in the distance. She was only Lyra then, not some pitiful orphan or contemptible prison love-child. She was free to be her own person.

"Morning," Ginny's spirited voice interrupted Lyra's inner dialogue. The older girl slid onto the bench beside her friend, her schoolbag in hand, and reached for the platter of toast. Lyra folded the corner of her page and tucked it into her leather satchel. "Back at you," she quietly responded to her friend.

"Didn't sleep much?" Ginny inquired. Lyra nodded; she supposed her exhaustion was obvious from her sunken features and messy hair. The Gryffindor dormitories had been characterized by silent stress over the last week, everybody had their nose shoved into some textbook. Even Ginny had been spending most of her time in the library.

"I suppose all this madness will be over by Friday, right?" Ginny grinned, though fatigue prickled at her brown eyes. Lyra pressed her now-cold cup of tea to her lips and slurped it down. She and Ginny had remained close despite their violent December, but the pair had rarely spoken since exam period began. The only person she had consistently seen was Francis, as they studied for some of the more difficult exams together.

"I can't wait for summer," Lyra sighed, though her tongue felt dry in her mouth. It wasn't a flat-out lie, exactly, just a slight omission. She couldn't be held accountable for that. And besides, the most judicious course of action would require her to act normally, she didn't even know if she _would_ be permitted to leave.

"Me, too, Lyr, me, too. You should stay at the Burrow if your matron allows you to. Ron's a git but summers are kind of nice down there, we play a lot of Quidditch."

"Yeah?" Lyra felt the corners of her mouth threaten to tug up, despite her drowsiness and current stress levels. She took another long sip from her cup and placed it down on the table.

"I've been waiting for the _Prophet_ but if the owls aren't going to come, I should probably leave for class, I have Potions first," Lyra nudged her head towards the grand doors of the hall. The Potions chamber was a long walk from the Great Hall and Ginny nodded in acknowledgment.

As if Lyra's words were a trigger, a bombardment of owls came soaring into the Great Hall. Lyra dropped her leather satchel back onto the Gryffindor bench and squinted to see her beloved Echo among the masses of birds. The small barn owl sagged under the load of the heavy newspaper and Lyra winced in guilt; she felt bad forcing her pet to undergo the stress of carrying the paper. However, what Lyra truly desired seemed to be clutched in the animal's beak: a small scrap of paper. The owl landed on the table and dropped the _Prophet._ Lyra snatched the scrap away. Indeed, her name was scrawled on the front in familiar writing.

"You should be off now," Ginny tapped her friend's shoulder. Lyra stuffed the scrap in the closest pocket of her satchel and nodded. She quickly bade a goodbye to her friend and hastily exited the hall, she hoped she wouldn't be late for Potions. She had time to read Mrs. Hinshaw's response later.

* * *

When Lyra arrived in the Potions classroom, the class thankfully hadn't begun, but most of the seats were already filled up. Lyra's normal seat was in the very front of the room, but she initially attempted to scan the back of the classroom for an advantageous seat out of Snape's view. No luck, they had already been filled up. She begrudgingly trudged to the front, hoping to slide into the front desk where she sat alone.

Lyra's heart nearly stopped when she arrived at it. The other chair at her normal table was already occupied. _Astoria goddamn Greengrass_ had stolen her privacy. She felt her jaw tighten at the sight of her classmate and sneered at the Slytherin as she shoved her satchel under the desk and placed her notebook on the surface. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Astoria's normal deskmate, Eudora Selwyn, seated with a Slytherin girl called Travers. Lyra could vaguely remember the gossip of her roommates last night, something about an argument between some Slytherin girls over some boy by the surname Burke. Astoria likely wasn't happy with her friends at the moment and had taken the only other empty seat in the classroom: the one next to Lyra.

"What are you scowling at, Black?" Astoria glowered. Lyra rolled her dark eyes into the back of her head. Lyra ignored her, opening her notebook and copying down the date and the lesson title into her notes. Snape hadn't entered the classroom yet, perhaps she still had time to read the note. She began to reach into her satchel.

"Black, stop your rustling _now,_ the lesson's about to start," Astoria interjected, her tone haughty and indignant.

"Greengrass, I advise you shut your mouth before I do it myself," Lyra hissed. Her inflection was sharp and harsh and _maybe_ she felt a bit guilty for snapping at a casual adversary but she simply didn't have time to deal with-

"Students," a drawl sounded. All motion in the classroom ceased as the greasy professor came into sight. He approached the front of the classroom just as Lyra's hand hit the corner of the scrap she desired. Dear Merlin, if _only she could just pull it out without him noticing!_

She tried to remove the paper without rustle as Snape turned his back to the students and began pressing chalk letters into the board. She had almost brought it from under the desk to her chest as the man turned to face the students. _Dammit_ , she thought.

" _Miss Black,_ " his voice rang out. "What exactly is that which you have brought into _my classroom?_ "

"Nothing, sir," Lyra muttered, pressing her palm and the scrap to the wooden desk. She averted her gaze to the neatly written date on her page. She could feel a tinge of red on her cheeks and the eyes of her fellow classmates burned into her back.

"If that is what I believe it to be, Miss Black, the punishment will be severe," Snape warned.

"Yes, sir," Lyra practically whimpered. Her pale fingers curled around the note. Snape extended his hand, his eyes cold and cruel. She pressed the paper into his hand and watched as he practically tore it open. He quickly scanned the contents of it, the contents of which Lyra was dying to know. His eyes were still mocking as usual, but there seemed to be some surprise, some doubt, and maybe even some sick sense of triumph? Regardless, he slipped the paper into his pocket carefully.

"You may have your slip back at the end of the day, Miss Black. Five points from Gryffindor," Snape called out as he returned to the board, Lyra's face grew hotter as she heard her classmates groan. She clamped her hands tightly against her desk and unsuccessfully tried to focus on the lesson at hand. Even Severus Snape knew the contents of that pivotal note before she did, she thought resentfully. It had been long enough, she might as well receive some decent news.

* * *

The rest of the day was far too long for Lyra's liking. Every student took frantic notes in each class as every professor reviewed the basics of the year's work. However, despite her general anxiety surrounding the exams, Lyra couldn't focus. She instead folded parts of the _Prophet_ and tucked them into the pages of her textbook, reading those articles instead of taking notes. In Charms, she managed to fit her novel into the particularly dense textbook and read the entire time. She could easily get the notes from Francis later; he always took thorough, colorful notes. By the end of the day, she was ready to throw herself into bed with her book and few textbooks and a cup of peppermint tea, her favourite drink, from the Great Hall, shut the curtains tightly, and not emerge until morning.

With her leather satchel thrown haphazardly over her shoulder, Lyra was even en route to the Great Hall to pick up tea and tell Francis and Luna and Ginny where she would be until morning. As she caught sight of the hall, the events of the day replayed in her head, beginning with the delivery of the note. Her breath hitched as she remembered Potions class. Hastily, she bounded out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons. As she opened the thick doors to Snape's office, she was out of breath.

"Miss Black," the professor barely looked up from his work as the young student entered. "You're late."

"I apologize, professor," Lyra ducked her head. Her dominant stubborn side urged her to interject with some excuse, but she knew Snape would not take kindly to that and she deeply desired to know how Mrs. Hinshaw replied. She stood awkwardly a few meters away from his desk as she waited for him to put down his quill. When he finally did a few brief moments later, she resisted the urge to begin tapping her foot and began to chew on her lip. Her breath shuddered for a moment as she tried to predict her guardian's response. Ultimately, _finally,_ Snape fished the scrap out of the pocket of his dark robe. It had been folded neatly and her name was split in half. Lyra grasped it with trembling fingers.

"Thank you, professor," she mumbled, her head hung low as her knees began to tremble in anticipation. Snape nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"You are dismissed," he said sharply. Lyra quickly turned on her heels and exited the classroom, the world seeming to swirl as she got farther and farther away. Eventually, when she could barely hear the voices of Slytherins anymore, she ducked into a corner and her satchel thudded to the ground. She quickly unfolded the letter.

 _To whom it may concern,_

 _I, Elizabeth Hinshaw, the legal guardian of Miss Lyra Black, hereby permit Miss Black to leave Hogwarts at the end of this year's term._

Underneath the brief note was Daisy Hinshaw's signature in dark black ink. The decision was final.

* * *

Lyra seemed to wander aimlessly after she neatly folded the note and placed it in a safe location within her bag. She climbed the moving staircases, took turns around the corridors, and poked her head into a few abandoned classrooms. If it wasn't so full of stressed students cramming for exams, perhaps Lyra would have ended up in the library. The sky was grey and the air was cold, so she didn't even attempt to walk out to her spot by the lake. She eventually found herself mounting the stairs to her dormitory only to be confronted by three giggling roommates. She couldn't bear to be in the room with normally, she couldn't even imagine interacting with them in her present state of mind. However, as she looked back down to the common room, an idea popped into her head. She grabbed _The Foremost Laws of the Hogwarts School_ and ran through the corridors and up the steps until she confronted a stone gargoyle.

 _Dammit_ , she remembered, _a password is required to enter Dumbledore's office._ She presed the book to her chest and stomped her foot, trying to think of what it could possibly be. She ultimately sighed, exasperated, and stated bluntly, "I need to speak with Dumbledore, _please,_ if you could just let me up."

Despite being self-critical at times, Lyra had thought about her more positive traits in greath depth. She was driven, hard-working, independent. Frankness and candor were also among these attributes, often acting in relation to her stubbornness. She was determined to accomplish whatever she had set her mind to and why should she hesitate in the face of success? She had Mrs. Hinshaw's permission, she had proof, she had more than enough reason to prove her unhappiness. She could formulate countless arguments, she could strip the evidence down the barest it could possibly be. She was ready to formally announce her intent to leave Hogwarts.

To Lyra's surprise, the gargoyle began to twist, revealing a set of stone steps. Tightening her grip on the large book, she firmly planted her foot into the first step and continued her ascent. Inhaling deeply, she rapped her knuckles on the thick, wood door, only hissing slightly at the pain. The doors slowly swung open and she stepped into the circular, spacious office. She had been in Dumbledore's office before, but the towering stacks of books and various magical relics scattered about always managed to take her breath away. She tried not to lose her train of thought as she caught sight of Albus Dumbledore. However, her eyes went slightly wide at the sight of the two other poeple present.

McGonagall and Snape hvoered in front of Dumbledore's imposing desk, the headmaster himself being seated at it. They both watched as Lyra entered the office reluctantly.

"Miss Black," Dumbledore's benevolent voice sounded first. "What a pleasure it is to see you this evening. Mint julep taffy?" The old headmaster nudged his chin at a large bowl of spearmint candy on his desk. Lyra ducked her head.

"No, thank you, Professor Dumbledore," her voice seemed to become quieter with every word. Her face must be so red, she mused internally.

"I suppose you're here to inform of your plans for the upcoming year," the headmaster continued, stil warm in contrast to McGonagall's shocked silence and Snape's usual coldness. Dumbledore quickly glanced at Snape; the greasy rat must have told Dumbledore and McGonagall about what was in the note.

"Uh, yes, professor. I felt it was necessary to inform you that- that I do not plan to return for the next year. My guardian gave me her permission," Lyra held up the note in one hand that felt rather sweaty at the moment. "And it states in the rulebook- I have it here- that as long as I have my guardian's permission, it's valid."

"Very well, then. Miss Black. Thank you for informing us. If there is anything you require in your remaining time here, do not hesitate to speak with me or Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore nodded. His eyes seemed to twinkle with sympathy and a gentle smile played at his lips. Lyra's own mouth formed an 'O' shape as her eyes darted from professor to professor. With haste, she muttered a thanks and left the room.

Lyra's heart seemed to pound rather loudly as she retreated down the spiral staircase. She ran a hand through her dark hair; it must have fallen out from the braid she had kept it for the previous two days. She placed the slip back in her satchel and clutched _The Foremost Laws_ closer to her chest. _Oh, Merlin,_ she though, _what in cold hell just happened?_

Was this all final? Was she really leaving Hogwarts? Dear lord, she hadn't expected it to be this easy. She felt as if the bricks weighing on her heart should have been lifted but if anything, they became heavier. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, like all life had been sucked out of her body. Her mind was racing thousands of miles in mere seconds. Thank Merlin she hadn't had any Legilimency episodes in the past few weeks besides for a few vivid dreams that were just repetitions of old things she had seen. She would have collapsed under the pressure of that coupled with this- though collapsing isn't yet out of the classrooms.

Lyra leaned into the large books, as if it could push all the nervous knots out of her stomach if she pressed hard enough. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before racing to the staircase that would take her to Gryffindor Tower. If she needed anything now, she needed sleep.

* * *

"Albus!" Minerva hissed in the nearly empty office. The regality of the office itself was intimidating, especially when only occupied by three professors all clumped around the one desk. "Surely this won't- _can't_ work."

"Miss Black has a right to leave the school if she pleases," Dumbledore stated serenely, despite Minerva's frantic tone. "She is at total liberty to do so, despite my own doubts."

"Doubts, you speak of doubts," Snape sneered, his hands clapsed together as he circled around the desk. "What doubts could the almight Albus Dumbledore has?"

"You know where she comes from, Severus," Albus replied gently. "Mary Macdonald was in your class, need I remind you. She was a kind-hearted, well-liked girl from what I remember of her. Miss Black is like her in that respect. She's quite close with Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood and I've heard from her other professors that she's studied with Francis Abott before, he's a well-adjusted child. And Minerva, you yourself saw where she's been living her entire life. Everything she desires is at Hogwarts. I trust her to realize this before it's too late."

"But she's a child!" Minerva groaning, planting her hands into the desk and sighing in exapseration. "She's a well-rounded, talented _child._ You put too much faith in her own judgment, Albus. She's been through so much this year and is quite certain that she wants to leave and you said it yourself, I' _ve seen where she comes from_ and it's not-"

"From what I've learned about her, Miss Black seems to have much faith in her own judgment, not myself. _I_ trust her and her instincts, "Albus responded coolly. Minvera continued with her nervous pace and Severus began to shake his head.

"She's _belligerent_ and _strong-willed_ and _pompous,_ just like her father and mother and their group of cowards, Albus," Snape interjected, his tone taunting and brutal. In turn, Albus Dumbledore shook his head.

"We all have our flaws, Severus, you know that as well as I do. Watch and see, I have no doubt, no doubt that Miss Black will return for her second year."

 **Oh my God, it's been so long. It's been an entire semester since we've worked on this. This chapter was a sleep-deprived creation of my obsessive mind. We probably won't work on this at all but I had a few ideas so I worked on it. We've both moved on to other fandoms and while we'll always love HP, we're not super active in the fandom at the moment. We don't really have any ideas for this beyond this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to give some resolution since we left you on a cliffhanger for like five months, if anybody actually still cares about this story.**

 **Please follow us on Tumblr if you liked this story, we both occasionally write fic for Marvel, Supernatural, Star Wars, or Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Our usernames are queenofdebate and charliebradburyismyspirit-animal**


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